Under the Pale Autumn Moon
by Sleep Walking Chicken
Summary: Time heals all wounds, as the saying goes. For Kagome, time has only boiled all the regret and hatred for the woman named Kikyou. Inuyasha, jaded from his newly destroyed life, stays in the home of his cousin, where Kagome is. Can they reverse the curse?
1. Arriving

**Under the Pale Autumn Moon  
  
---**  
  
The taxi drove away, it's taillight illuminating the road from which he stood. His black hair cascaded down his back in a loose ponytail. His violet eyes lifted from the ground and up towards the large house that he was to be staying in. His cousin, Sango, had invited him to live with her after the accident.  
  
It was early morning, about four in the morning, according to his watch. He shrugged, since there was no use in waking them up so that he can just go and sleep. He picked up his two suitcases, filled with the belongings. One was just his clothes, the other one...it just had things that he couldn't bare to part. Mementos of his pack-rat life.  
  
He walked up the stone pathway and onto the porch, he jiggled the handle: locked. Figures, Sango was always so protective. He sat himself in a little lawn chair. He could be rude, but he wasn't mean enough to wake his cousin from sleep, after she'd been so kind as to invite him into her home.  
  
The house was huge; it looked to be at least three stories. No wonder she wanted company, he did know that she had maids and servants but he believed that she was the only resident. The workers slept in the servant quarters, he supposed.  
  
He sighed, Sango was lucky, having been born into a rich family, she never had to worry about the hardships he faced, and the hardships he would have faced if she hadn't taken him in.  
  
He brushed his black hair from his face and stared off the porch and into the forest pointed east of the house. It seemed dark, sad, lonely and jaded.  
  
He continued to stare at the forest before drifting off into a peaceful sleep.  
  
He awoke about two hours later when something hard hit him in the face. He jumped straight into the air and looked around for his offender.  
  
A little boy holding a newspaper stood staring up at him.  
  
"What the fuck are you doing?" he growled at the boy. The boy stood up on his full three feet height, if not smaller, and whacked him in the shins with the newspaper, "God damn it, what are you doing?"  
  
The boy stuck out his tongue and continued to whack him, "You're a peeping tom, spying on Sango-Sama, get your rump of our property, you bum!"  
  
Suddenly, the front door opened and a woman with long black hair, held up in a loose ponytail, came strolling out. She stopped when she noticed the two boys yelling and whacking each other.  
  
She smiled, "Shippou, what are you doing?"  
  
The auburn haired boy looked up with triumphant eyes, "I was getting rid of the peeping tom!"  
  
Sango raised an eyebrow at the 'peeping tom', he stared back, and suddenly Sango broke into a grin and flung herself around his shoulders, "Inuyasha it's been so long!"  
  
Inuyasha shot a glare at Shippou before patting Sango's back, "Yeah, it has."  
  
Sango pulled away and stared dragging Inuyasha indoors, "Shippou, carry his stuff up to the guestroom, it will be his room from now on."  
  
Shippou stared dumbfounded, "But he's the peeping tom!"  
  
Sango walked down the halls with Inuyasha, "So how have you been Inuyasha?"  
  
"Fine, I guess," Inuyasha looked away out windows, around the walls, that sort of stuff.  
  
"I hope we didn't keep you waiting," Sango smiled as she climbed the staircase.  
  
"Well I got here at four, but I didn't want to wake you up so..."  
  
Sango smiled and rubbed Inuyasha's head like he was a dog; "You're so sweet, looking out for others, now let's see, where is that guestroom?"  
  
Sango's face suddenly turned dark and her eyebrow began to twitch. She reached for the closest thing she could find, a broom, and started to whack a man who was holding her butt.  
  
Inuyasha looked stupidly as his cousin bashed this man who was obviously touching her.  
  
Sango straightened up happily as soon as she was done, dusting off her hands she cast a sidelong glance at him, "Inuyasha, this is my cook, Miroku, Miroku, this is my cousin, Inuyasha, touch me again and I'll have him kick your ass."  
  
Inuyasha looked briefly at the unconscious Miroku, "Sango, I think he's dead."  
  
"Good." Sango dusted off her hands as if killing an innocent bystander was dirty work, "Shall I show you to your room then?"


	2. Stangers

**Under the Pale Autumn Moon  
  
---**  
  
Inuyasha was lead to his room by some servants and was told that breakfast would be served in a few hours. He sat on the bed and just looked out the window, sighing occasionally and feeling a sense of longing still bubbling in his insides.  
  
He flopped down on the bed staring at the ceiling for a while before drifting off into an uneasy sleep.  
  
About half an hour later, a sound awoke him, Inuyasha had always been known for his keen sense of smell, hearing, and sight, but this sound was something he'd never heard before.  
  
He cracked open an eye to peer around the darkened room.  
  
Nothing.  
  
He grunted and turned over in his bed.  
  
"Good morning!"  
  
Inuyasha's eyes snapped wide open as he stared in disbelief at this girl that was sitting cross-legged on his bed. Alarmed he scurried backwards successfully knocking himself out of bed.  
  
"Wha...What the _fuck are you doing in my room? _ _And my bed_!" Inu- yasha stood wide-eyed at the girl who blinked in confusion.  
  
"You can see me?" she asked softly, but Inuyasha's good hearing picked it up and he snarled.  
  
"_Yes_! Only someone totally blind couldn't see you, you're sitting on my bed, you were right in front of my face! _What the hell are you doing in my room?_"  
  
The girl smiled and stood, as if she were a fluid she jumped off his bed and stood in front of the boy who sat staring in disbelief.  
  
"This is my room, I don't know what you're doing in here, but I've lived here for a long time."  
  
"What the hell, this is the room Sango gave me!" Inuyasha snarled, growing impatient with the girl by the second.  
  
"Sango doesn't know I live here," the girl sniffed and turned her head away.  
  
"What the hell, you've been living here and no one knows? What kind of drugs are these people using, better yet, what kind of drugs are you using?"  
  
The girl stuck her tongue out at him and flopped down onto his bed, "I don't know, I've never gotten the proper drug education, there all the same to me."  
  
"So you do use drugs?"  
  
"_No_! I'm just saying...never mind...I just don't use drugs, ok?"  
  
"Whatever, get out of my room."  
  
"I thought I just explained that I wasn't leaving! And that it's my room!"  
  
"Well I like this room, and I've already unpacked so, yeah!" Inuyasha raised a hand to threaten her but she seemed unfazed.  
  
"Oh yes it should be so hard to unpack two suitcases," she snapped, closing her eyes and shaking her head as if she pitied him.  
  
"Well you've bitched me enough, bitch, I'm telling Sango that she has a little idiot living in her house without her knowledge."  
  
"Go ahead, she'll think you're crazy."  
  
"What?" Inuyasha turned around from the door he was about to open but the girl was gone, he was alone in the room.  
  
Inuyasha sat down loudly in a chair next to Sango, much to her pestering, she kept talking about how she didn't want the cook to make up some excuse as to how he could sit near her.  
  
Miroku, the cook, came strolling in with a huge irritated looking grin and set two plates covered by the silver lids onto the table, he bowed slightly and left the room to grab the other food entries.  
  
Sango sighed and picked up her plate, she promptly grabbed Inuyasha's and switched them, as she glanced at his confused look she whispered, "You'll see."  
  
Inuyasha shrugged it off and awaited the cook to come back.  
  
He was faintly aware of people talking around him, but his mind kept drifting back to that girl in his room, where the hell did she go, and why was she such a bitch? She pissed him off a lot.  
  
You could even say he hated her, even if he barely knew her.  
  
"_Inuyasha_!" Inuyasha jumped and looked guiltily at his cousin, "are you even listening?"  
  
"Sorry, still a little tired, ya know?" Inuyasha lied with the lamest excuse, but Sango fell for it and nodded.  
  
Inuyasha lifted up his plate to reveal a bowl shaped like a heart and heart shaped pancakes, "What. The. Hell?"  
  
Sango looked up from her oatmeal and smirked, "That's just Miroku confessing his undying love."  
  
"To me?"  
  
"No, I switched the plates, duh, Miroku is anything but a crooked."  
  
"Err, ok," Inuyasha shrugged and started to walk upstairs, he was going to ask Sango about the girl in his room but decided against it, "I'll be upstairs if you need me for anything."  
  
Sango nodded and continued to eat her oatmeal.


	3. You again

**Under the Pale Autumn Moon  
  
---**  
  
Inuyasha slumped down onto his couch that sat in front of the TV in his room. He'd never stopped to look around, now that he thought about it, but it really was a huge room, almost as big as his old house he used to live in before the accident.  
  
He shrugged to himself.  
  
"Stupid."  
  
Inuyasha jumped and cursed himself for not hearing the girl come up behind him, "What the hell do you want?"  
  
The girl rolled her eyes, "Well aren't you Mr. Social and fun...who spit in your food this morning?"  
  
"Leave me alone," he grumbled and turned away, he tried his hardest to ignore the girl. After a few moments of silence, Inuyasha thought that maybe she'd left.  
  
Suddenly, he felt a weight on his head and looked across the room at the mirror hanging on the wall. The girl was sitting cross-legged on his head!  
  
"_What the hell_?" he yelled at her, but she only crossed her arms and stuck her nose into the air, "Get off!"  
  
"No can do, you see, I'll only get off if you promise to leave my room."  
  
"This isn't your room you idiot, I live here now!" he growled at the girl and tried to fling her off but failed.  
  
"Now, now, that's no way to talk to a lady!"  
  
"You're no lady..."Inuyasha muttered.  
  
"Now that wasn't really nice, are you implying that I'm a man?" she leaned over the side of his head and met her deep blue-gray eyes with his violet ones.  
  
"Go the hell away." He grumbled as he tried to knock her off his head.  
  
The girl tutted and shook her head, "No can do, I like this room!"  
  
"I hate you," he growled and made a swipe for her again, but she jumped, did a back flip and landed perfectly on his bed.  
  
"You're very impolite, you know that," she giggled as he growled again, "you sound like a dog."  
  
"Shut up," he said as he threw a pillow at her. The girl just stood there, her eyes turned hazy and as the pillow made contact, it went right through her, the girl appearing to be translucent, "_What the hell?_"  
  
The girl blinked and returned to her solid form, she smiled and held up a peace-sign, "Now, now, such language!"  
  
Inuyasha stood petrified in fear, "What...what are you?"  
  
The girl blinked, "Me?"  
  
Inuyasha stared but still appeared to be freaked, "Who....?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Who do you think you are?"  
  
"Kagome," the girl smiled and jumped off the bed, she floated in mid-air and gazed down at him, giggling at his bewildered expression.  
  
"That's not what I meant..." Inuyasha stood up suddenly, "you're really freaking me out, I'm so out of here!"  
  
"Bye, bye," Kagome waved from her mid-air position and watched as he slammed the door behind him. Her eyes saddened as she looked out the window, "Will he ever understand?"


	4. Crazy

**Under the Pale Autumn Moon  
  
---**  
  
Inuyasha stormed down the staircase searching franticly for Sango. There was no way in hell that girl was going to continue to live in _his_ room as long as he was living under this roof. Plus that girl was totally unnatural... '_Like me...'_. He cursed himself for letting himself drift, he fingered his rosary, the one thing that contained him.  
  
He slammed open a door and stood in the doorway, searching the room for Sango. All he found were two maids making out. He slammed the door quickly.  
  
"This house is so fucked," he said to himself as he continued to bang doors open. (After he knocked though)  
  
He continued to search rooms, sometimes banging mercilessly for a couple of minutes until he felt a weight on his head. Inuyasha's eyes twitched, "what the hell are you doing on my head! _Get off_!"  
  
Maids that were passing by gave him odd looks like he was talking to himself. Inuyasha growled like a dog and swiped at Kagome.  
  
"Such bad aim for someone of your skills," Kagome waved a finger at him, making him growl once again, he was slightly confused about what she just said but shrugged it off.  
  
He backed away from the door and moved forward down the hall, trying his hardest to ignore the girl on his head, though it wasn't that easy.  
  
Kagome yawned and knocked his forehead with her knuckles, for being someone who could turn translucent at will, she could hit hard.  
  
"Damn it, leave me alone!"  
  
"Inuyasha?" Inuyasha jumped and turned guiltily at Sango who has been sitting on a chair in front of a fire, "who are you talking too?"  
  
"You're kidding right? Can't you see her?" Inuyasha said pointing to Kagome, who whistled happily.  
  
Sango raised an eyebrow, "You're pointing to air, Inuyasha, are you feeling ill? Come with me and I'll find a place for you to lie on."  
  
Miroku entered the room and heard the last bit of Sango's suggestion. With muffled laughter, he hid his amusement through a series of coughs.  
  
Sango glared at him, "Miroku, stop being a moron."  
  
"Sorry Sango-Sama, but really, are you so desperate as to sleep with your cousin when you have me?" Miroku asked as he flexed his muscles, trying to look manly, besides the fact he was wearing a very girlish apron.  
  
Sango and Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow, "Really Miroku," Sango said, calmly, dangerously calm, the kind of calm before a storm, "I'd rather sleep with my insane cousin than with you."  
  
Miroku clasped his heart like he'd been stabbed, "Sango-Sama I'm hurt, why would you do such a thing to Inuyasha-Sama?"  
  
Sango suddenly arose, holding her chair above her head and chucked it at Miroku, who stood in surprise before being plummeted to the ground in a large yelp.  
  
Kagome cracked up on his head.  
  
"_Shut up, it isn't funny_!" Inuyasha yelled as he pointed a finger at Kagome's reflection in the side mirror.  
  
Sango and Miroku stared at Inuyasha. Inuyasha paused in his ranting to look back with an equally confused look, "Sango, you can't see her?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"The girl on my head?" Inuyasha said pointing to Kagome who only smiled in a smug manner.  
  
Sango shook her head and got up to leave, "Inuyasha, you really need some sleep, go to your room, and I don't want to see you until dinner, understand? I don't like you seeing people who aren't there! It's unhealthy, I understand that you're a little depressed after what happened, but really, go to your room, _now_!"  
  
Inuyasha let him be pushed up the stairs and shoved into his room. He stood on the other side of the door, leaning on it for support.  
  
"Am I crazy?" he asked himself.  
  
"Nah, you're just the only one who can see me, congratulations!" Kagome jumped off his head and landed gracefully on his bed, "We can be friends now!"  
  
Inuyasha banged his head against his wall and groaned, "No, no, no, no, no, no, thanks to you my cousin and her perverted cook think that I'm crazy. _Why_ am I the only one who can see you, _and what are you? I want answers now_!"  
  
Kagome smiled sadly and looked out the window, "A simple human such as yourself wouldn't understand."  
  
"Try me, there's a lot of me you don't know about," Inuyasha growled, but wasn't about to reveal to the strange girl that he wasn't all human.  
  
Kagome sighed and then opened her mouth, her pink tongue emerging to wet her lips. Another sigh escaped her as she collected her thoughts. Should she tell him?


	5. Into the Forest

**Under the Pale Autumn Moon  
  
---**  
  
Kagome fidgeted, suddenly getting second thoughts about telling Inuyasha. She couldn't, if he knew, then he might not help her.  
  
"Never mind, it's not important!" she quickly said as she stood up and tried to leave by going around Inuyasha, he blocked her way, unfortunately.  
  
"No way, you're telling me it's very important!" Inuyasha gripped her shoulders but her eyes grew that hazy look again and she slipped right past him. He blinked in confusion and cursed.  
  
Kagome rushed outside of the house and towards the backyard, a place she rarely went, and if she did, only in the spring or summer. It was summer now, which meant that it would be the perfect time to look at the plants.  
  
She stopped in the garden. The garden she had planted so many years ago, before Kikyou came into her life and made it a living hell. That woman, first she had the nerve to look like her, then she had to ruin her life by making her what she was today.  
  
She peered at her hands and felt the salty tears run down her cheeks. She couldn't stand the thought of Kikyou and all she'd done, all she would do.  
  
She fell to her knees amid the roses, the sweet smelling flowers helping her sobs stop. She wiped them away and looked up into the sky, clouds were forming overhead and she could feel it deep within her that there was going to be rain.  
  
She picked a rose and stroked the petals, picking them one by one and throwing them into the wind. She sighed.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
Kagome jumped and looked up at Inuyasha, who stood over her, holding an umbrella over her head. She peered up; it had started to rain, and after her storm prediction. She shrugged and continued to stroke the petals and releasing them into the rain-covered wind.  
  
"What does it look like I'm doing," she said with her fake sweetness. She shrugged to herself and dropped the now petal less rose stem.  
  
He smiled softly and dropped to his knees, holding the umbrella over her head, not caring or seeming to notice that he was becoming drenched by not covering himself.  
  
"A wench like you shouldn't be out in the cold, it's bad for you, even if you are unnatural," he said jokingly, trying to sound tough but failing miserably, she laughed.  
  
"What do you mean, unnatural?" she said pushing him playfully. He growled and pushed her slightly back, "Do you mean a freak show with elf ears? A three eyed monster, someone who can control plants? Someone who can spring a sword from her hand made completely out of energy? Or maybe shooting a gun made of energy from your fingertip?"  
  
She laughed again and Inuyasha noticed how it sounded like ringing bells. He chuckled along with her.  
  
"Nah, I was talking about transforming into a demon at will, or maybe growing an extra arm where your belly button would be. Or being able to fly up five miles into the sky. Or turn into a baby or a teenager at will," he shrugged.  
  
Kagome raised an eyebrow, "Turn into a baby at will? That's weird."  
  
Inuyasha snorted, "Well, apparently I'm crazy, so it doesn't really matter now does it wench? Now come inside, I'm not leaving my room, and I'm guessing you aren't either, so I don't want your sneezing keeping me up all night."  
  
Kagome smiled, "I don't get colds." Just as soon as it left her mouth, she sneezed. She looked up sheepishly at Inuyasha, who gave her a smug look, "Oh, be quiet."  
  
Inuyasha sat on his couch with Kagome floating over his head. Inuyasha stared in awe. Even if he'd been living in this house for three days, he had yet to discover anything that his room didn't have. A huge bed, a couch, a mini bar, a fireplace, a TV, Hell, there was even a pool table that folded out when you opened a door.  
  
Inuyasha clicked off the TV with a huge sigh and just sat in the darkness with Kagome, who would sneeze every so often. Even if it had happened two days ago, she was still sneezing.  
  
"Don't get sick, huh?" he teased, breaking the silence.  
  
"Oh hush," she snapped from her position in the air.  
  
"I've been meaning to ask you," Inuyasha looked up at Kagome, who looked back down towards him, "in the garden, why were you crying?"  
  
Kagome stiffened and looked away, fidgeting with her fingers she tried to think up a good lie, "I, uh, was just thinking of something depressing."  
  
She smiled with fake cheerfulness, but Inuyasha shrugged, "Fine, don't tell me, its not like I care."  
  
"You're so rude," she scowled at him and floated over to his large bed," good night."  
  
"No way in hell are you sleeping on my bed, wench," Inuyasha jumped from the bed and tackled Kagome before she could pull her see-through stunt. He straddled her hips and stared evilly at her, "The bed is mine."  
  
Kagome blushed, "Um..."  
  
Inuyasha suddenly blushed as well as he suddenly realized what he was doing, he got off her quickly and sat, poking his two index fingers together.  
  
The two sat in silence for a long time, neither speaking nor daring to look at the other.  
  
Inuyasha cleared his throat and stood up, "Well, I guess I'll go sleep on the couch."  
  
Kagome watched him travel across the blue carpet and plop onto the huge couch, large enough in width, but his legs hung over the side, showing the muscles through his pajama bottoms, they were long and lean.  
  
Every part of him was lean, muscular, but not too muscular. His long black hair billowed out behind the arm of the couch. Kagome watched his hair with curiosity. _'Why does a guy have such long hair?'_ she asked herself as she floated over and touched the hair softly.  
  
She looked up at Inuyasha's face to make sure he was asleep, his face looked calm, she liked that calm, the kind of calm you only witness when one's asleep.  
  
His hair slips between her fingers, its silky texture tickling her fingers. For a moment, the black hair became silver at the base, almost like the black hair was dyed, but she pushed it aside as a hallucination, because the moment she focused on it, it was gone.  
  
She floated over him, watching his face with a faraway look on her face. Reaching down she trailed her fingers along his jaw line, his nose, his eyelids, and his lips. She paused on the lips, they were soft, tender, not to thin and not to fat.  
  
Very kissable.  
  
She shook that thought aside and floated over to the bed that Inuyasha had allowed her to sleep in. closing her eyes she huddled up into a ball, much like a cat, and slept the rest of the night away.  
  
Kagome floated around the house, Inuyasha being the only one who can see her made it very handy to get around without being noticed. All she had to do was avoid Inuyasha. But today she was searching for him; as soon as she awoke he was off the couch, somewhere.  
  
She yawned, for a human he sure could move quietly, Kagome was usually a light sleeper and the slightest thing could wake her up, but somehow Inuyasha had snuck off the couch, across the room, opened and closed a door, and walked down a hall without he awakening.  
  
"Maybe he's a ninja, that would be a cool job," she spoke to herself, ninjas were the only people she really had to listen for, not that she'd met many ninjas, she'd met a band of them right before she and Kikyou had their disputes.  
  
She floated around the third story looking for him, she'd never recalled him actually coming here, but she figured he'd go anywhere to get away and have some alone time. Too bad she was going to be interfering soon enough.  
  
She finally came and floated outside, searching the front yard, the back yard, and the yards on the side. He was nowhere.  
  
"He wouldn't actually leave without saying goodbye would he?" she asked herself as she peered around. Her sights settled on the forest. The dark forest that resided near her old house, before her home landed with Sango.  
  
Kagome landed on the ground softly, anyone who was looking at the blades of grass would have seen them bent and then go back to normal position as Kagome ran across the lawn towards the forest.  
  
Rushing in she shot up into the sky with a sickeningly high jump. She gasped loudly, she hadn't known she could jump that high, peering over the forest's canopy, she searched for Inuyasha. She began to descent but was too lazy to make herself float and allowed herself to land in a clearing.  
  
She peered around the clearing and gasped again.  
  
She wasn't alone.


	6. Hanyous and Baboons

**Under the Pale Autumn Moon  
  
---**  
  
Inuyasha awoke to the burning at his fingertips. This always happened when he couldn't control himself, when the spell failed, the feelings and abilities would come back to him gradually before it would consume him completely.  
  
He stood up quickly and landed with youkai grace atop the couch, he sniffed the air and discovered that Kagome was still sleeping.  
  
_'Didn't know she slept'_ he mused to himself before jumping nimbly to the door and clicking it open, he shot a look over his shoulder at the snoring Kagome before leaving the room, padding along down the hall with increasing speed, yet not making a single sound.  
  
The sun had yet to rise as he burst through the front doors and bounded off into the only place he knew he wouldn't be found, into the forest.  
  
Dodging all the trees that sprung in his way he finally made it to a clearing, collapsing there he leaned against a tree for support, the pain was almost too much.  
  
He looked in horror, as his human nails grew longer and pointed, becoming claws. His human ears grew pointed like an elf's, before they slid up his face becoming dog ears, twitching madly as they greeted the now much louder sounds of the forest, his hair seemed to spring to life as it burst from the pony tail it used to reside as, flying all around him, making him appear to have snakes for hair as the silky blackness of night became a soft silver white, rougher too as it finally stilled and fell upon his back. He couldn't see it but he could feel his eyes start to burn as the deep purple soon became an amber golden. He blinked his eyes open and greeted the world as a new man.  
  
He stared at his nails and flexed his fingers, making his knuckles crack in the process, he sniffed the air again, and the smell of the forest filled the air.  
  
And the smell of roses.  
  
Roses?  
  
Why was there a smell of roses in a forest, he stiffened and turned around to face the girl, Kagome.  
  
She gasped and placed a hand on her racing heart, he could hear her heart beating, even from the distance between him. She looked utterly confused and frightened, like she didn't recognize him. He didn't blame her, he looked completely different.  
  
"Inu...Inuyasha!?" she gasped again and looked at Inuyasha. He blinked in confusion, she recognized him? That confused him to no end, he wouldn't even recognize himself if he looked into a mirror in this form.  
  
"What happened?" she walked towards him, he stiffened. What was she going to do? "You don't look human anymore."  
  
Inuyasha sighed and shook his head, "That's because I'm not human, well, not all human anyway."  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked, her curiosity shinning through her fearful voice.  
  
"I'm a hanyou."  
  
"A hanyou?" she blinked and then broke into a small smile. "Wow...that's amazing"  
  
Inuyasha blinked in confusion again and then smiled back at her, "Really?"  
  
"You're part demon, that is so cool!" she smiled and flung onto him, he gasped again but gripped her.   
  
"What the hell are you doing?" he snapped, Kagome jumped and released him, blushing madly.  
  
"Sorry! I just, got caught in the moment, you know?" she laughed nervously and looked at him seriously, "How come you didn't tell me?"  
  
"Didn't trust you," he said simply, folding his arms across his chest, blocking his claws from her view.  
  
His ears twitch. She felt a pang of disappointment shoot through her but waved it aside, "Understandable."  
  
Inuyasha nodded and felt his ears twitch again. Kagome's eyes suddenly got huge and he gulped in response, "Are those real?"  
  
Inuyasha felt his ears plaster against his head, "Maybe."  
  
"They're so kawaii!" she giggled and rushed forward latching herself onto Inuyasha's ears; she tweaked them and giggled when they made a noise.  
  
Inuyasha felt himself blushing again as he started to purr.  
  
Kagome floated above the rose garden, watching the petals float in the wind, she giggled to herself, "He purred!"  
  
After the little ear incident, the two had returned to the house and Inuyasha was currently taking a shower, making Kagome have to spend her time alone. She hated being alone, after all these years, she had finally found someone who could see her, even in this cursed form.  
  
'_That damn curse. That damn Kikyo.  
  
'Damn Kouga, had to fall for it.'_  
  
She sighed again and floated down landing softly in the pink, yellow, white, and red roses. She'd always loved roses, because Kouga had given them to her.  
  
Yellow came first, to represent their friendship. Then pink to represent how they were becoming closer, Red for when they'd gotten more romantic, and white. He'd given her white when he'd asked her to marry him. White represented weddings. Kagome had been thrilled that Kouga wanted to marry her and had of course accepted.  
  
Then Kikyo had come along.  
  
After that, she had burned all the dried roses she'd saved from all the times Kouga had given them to her. She still loved the roses though; they smelled heavenly, like heaven. A place she'd never be able to live, much less visit.  
  
Kouga had long since resided in heaven...  
  
Her life had seemed so perfect before Kikyo came and cursed her, it sickened her that a woman could become so jealous as to try and kill another. Though, she'd failed and only ended up cursing Kagome for eternity.  
  
It was a real shame, wasn't it?  
  
She sighed and stood again, peering around the garden, she'd do anything to be human again.  
  
"I could fix that." Kagome peered behind her and stared at a man, or what she guessed was a man, since he was underneath a large baboon pelt.


	7. Dreams

**Under the Pale Autumn Moon  
  
---**  
  
"Who are you!?" Kagome practically yelled at the baboon clad man, "What are you doing here? What are you talking about?"  
  
The man smirked, but it wasn't a playful smirk like Inuyasha's, it was more of an evil smirk, and it was very unnerving.  
  
"Who are you? _Answer me!"_  
  
"I am Naraku," his voice came out like an icicle, and it made Kagome shiver, "And you are Kagome."  
  
If Kagome was shivering before, it was nothing like now, she felt her whole body go cold and she seemed rooted to the spot.  
  
"How did you know that?" she demanded.  
  
Naraku smirked again, "I know what you want, and I can give it to you."  
  
Inuyasha lay on his bed, in a restless slumber he was having a dream.  
  
_There was a girl, though he couldn't make out her face, and she sat in a field, with her kimono billowing out behind her, she held a basket of herbs and little children were dancing around her, collecting flowers and presenting them to the woman.  
  
The woman moved slowly but he could tell she was smiling.  
  
She looked off to the left and her mouth moved, though no words came out, this world was all black and white, very confusing to Inuyasha.  
  
Suddenly, a man with a wolf tail and long hair in a high ponytail came charging out of the woods and stopped in front of the woman. His face was blurred, but he could tell he was gasping for breath but still smiling.  
  
The woman leaned into the wolf youkai. Inuyasha could tell that's what he was, and the woman was human. They kissed while the children all giggled and ran away. The two lovers wrapped their arms around each other and their kiss grew more passionate.  
  
Inuyasha suddenly felt dirty and turned away, when he did he noticed a figure behind a tree, her face was blurred as well, but she wore a kimono similar to the other woman, and their hair looked similar as well.  
  
He could feel the dark aura radiating off her as she spun around, her lips moving but no sound again, and she stormed off towards the village.  
  
Inuyasha blinked and drew his attention to the now walking couple, holding hands they walked in the direction as the other woman.  
  
Suddenly the whole world blurred and he found himself in the village. There he found the same wolf youkai presenting the priestess (he'd decided that's what she must be) with white roses. The girl opened her mouth in what Inuyasha guessed as a gasp.  
  
The wolf youkai smiled, kissed her on the cheek and sped off with unnatural speed. The girl just stood there and then she started jumping up and down, squealing, it appeared to him.  
  
The same woman behind the tree stood down the street, her aura sparked and became the same dark one.  
  
"This is fucked up," Inuyasha said out loud and he gasped at how distant and faint his own voice was, but obviously he was the only one who could hear it because the two priestesses kept on with their daily businesses.  
  
The world blurred again and Inuyasha found himself in a hut, with the innocent-looking priestess speaking to another older priestess, he could hear them speaking again.  
  
"Kaede-Sama, have you seen Kouga-Kun?" she asked, her voice clear and beautiful.  
  
The old lady, undoubtedly Kaede, turned and shook her head, "Nay, child, I have not seen Kouga-Sama all day, I assumed he was with you."  
  
"Oh, well I was going to pick herbs for my potions so I was hoping that he'd want to come, I guess I'll have to go with Kikyo-Sama," the young priestess looked around, "where is Kikyo-Sama anyway?"  
  
Kaede shrugged, "I haven't seen her all day, I figured she was already collecting herbs. Perhaps she is already there? You should go check child."  
  
The young priestess nodded and walked away, leaving the mat door swinging slightly. Inuyasha stood in confusion and turned to the old lady.  
  
The old lady was cackling evilly and she began to transform, she grew taller and her white hair turned gray. Then black. Her wrinkles faded and it revealed the young priestess with the dark aura.  
  
The woman smirked, "Foolish Miko, now it's my time to take my Kouga-Kun back, I shall not fail in making your life miserable."  
  
Inuyasha blinked as the miko strolled out and towards the forest.  
  
And then the scene faded, sighing, Inuyasha awaited his next destination. He landed in the small clearing where the miko from before was picking herbs.  
  
She stood there now, hands on her hips, she searched around franticly for Kikyo or Kouga, Inuyasha wasn't sure, but he kept wondering who on earth it could be.  
  
Hell, he wondered who these people were.  
  
The miko continued to walk into the forest and Inuyasha followed; she walked timidly around the trees, searching.  
  
"Oh Kouga-Kun..."the young miko gasped at the sound coming from the left, she and Inuyasha ran around the bushes to see Kikyo and Kouga together.  
  
"Kouga-Kun!" the young miko Inuyasha had been following gasped out.  
  
Kikyo and Kouga broke apart and looked at her, Kouga looked confused whereas Kikyo looked rather smug.  
  
"Oh hello!" Kikyo smiled and waved at the miko.  
  
Kouga nodded his acknowledgement.  
  
The young miko gasped again and fell to her knees, "Kouga-Kun how could you?"  
  
"Silly little miko, don't you see, Kouga is mine?" Kikyo laughed bitterly and stabbed Kouga with a knife; he was dead before he hit the ground.  
  
"**NO**!" the little miko grabbed her stomach and sobbed, her shoulders shaking.  
  
Kikyo smirked and laughed, "Silly, silly, silly, it wasn't fair that you got to marry the man I loved, so I had to get rid of him, if I couldn't have him, no one could."  
  
"You monster!"  
  
"Now, now, that's no way to treat your superior."  
  
"I was the head miko before you came, you ruined my perfect life," The young miko pulled out an arrow and pointed it at Kikyo, "I can't let you live."  
  
Kikyo laughed, "You dare to challenge me? I am so much stronger than you, I shall rip you apart little miko!"  
  
Kikyo's hands glowed a grayish, though Inuyasha wasn't sure what the original color would be.  
  
The other miko's arrow began to glow at the tip, a bright white. She shot the arrow but Kikyo caught it with ease. It snapped in half and then vaporized into the bright gray light. She laughed again and then she started to become surrounded by the dark aura for what seemed like the millionth time.  
  
Kikyo sprung into the air and dug her hands into the miko, who cried out in pain, her eyes glowing.  
  
The world suddenly started to blur and now Inuyasha could only hear the voices of them.  
  
Kikyo's voice penetrated the darkness, "I put a curse on you girl, from now on, only those with spiritual awareness will be able to see you, and only they can break the spell, until then, you can never become human or die. You will never be able to leave the shadow of the forest until you are released, may this be a lesson, never underestimate me, girl."  
  
The young miko's voice rasped out as she cried out in pain, "o...one day!"  
_  
Inuyasha jolted from his dream and stared around the room wide-eyed, he wiped the sweat that was collecting on his brow as his now violet eyes scanned the room; he had to tell someone about that dream, and not just anyone, Kagome.  
  
He sprung from his bed only to be hit in the head by a lamp, knocking him unconscious for the time being.  
  
_Inuyasha peered at the large house that looked remarkably like the one he was currently living in; only trees surrounded it. There were many roses all along the sides of the house, all collecting into the back, he could smell something burning, and he felt his legs move without his permission.  
  
He moved inside the house and peered around. There was a girl without a face floating in air, burning roses, yellow, pink, red, and white. He blinked, noting that this world was in color.  
  
The flames subsided as the roses wilted in the sudden heat, the floating girl paid it no heed as she picked up another and held it over the candle.  
  
"Kouga, you bastard," he voice rang out, rich and filled with venom.  
  
_---  
  
Kagome stared at Naraku in confusion; she could feel a bad aura surrounding him, an advantage to being a miko.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I can give you the body of a human, of course, it's only temporary, you'll still be cursed," he stated simply and smiled that cold smile again.  
  
Kagome gulped, "You're lying."  
  
"I would never lie to you, Kagome-chan," Kagome cringed at the new name.  
  
"Just consider my offer, sweetie, I'll return at sunset."  
  
Then Naraku's baboon pelt collapsed the ground but no man underneath.


	8. Kikyou

**Under the Pale Autumn Moon  
  
---**  
  
Kagome walked slowly up the stairs, not floating, she didn't feel like floating. People only floated when they felt lighter than air. She didn't at the moment. Not that everyday people floated or anything.  
  
She only floated when she was happy.  
  
Now she was just damn confused about this situation. Who did this Naraku think he was, and how did he know who she was? And that she was under a curse, and that all she wanted was a human body?  
  
She walked through the wall and stood staring in shook at Inuyasha. He lay sprawled on the floor, belly up, and his dog-ears twitched. She was confused, how could he be so careless as to be caught off guard and not be wearing his cloaking spell? She leaned down franticly and felt for a pulse.  
  
Luckily there was one. Kagome peered around, how had this happened to him?  
  
He gaze settled on a lamppost that was knocked to the ground. She slapped her forehead, leave it to Inuyasha to be a dumb ass and do the stupidest things you only see in an anime. The boy had hit his head against a lamp!  
  
She sighed and poked Inuyasha's nose. It twitched when the familiarity of her rosy smell filled his nose. He cracked open a golden orb and looked up at her sheepishly, "Ow?"  
  
"You're so stupid sometimes, Inuyasha," she giggled and stood, "what did you do, run into a lamppost?"  
  
She meant for it to be a joke, but by the way Inuyasha was blushing, she was pretty sure she'd just hit dead on.  
  
"Oh my god you didn't!" she giggled then burst into a fit of laughter, "that is too much, the great Inuyasha, swayed by a mere lamppost, ha!"  
  
"It isn't funny, Wench," he growled and turned away.  
  
Kagome ignored his insult and continued to laugh, "You're right, it's hilarious!"  
  
Inuyasha growled.  
  
Inuyasha flopped onto his bed at five and stared at the ceiling, after staring at it for a long time he finally said, "What was I dreaming about?"  
  
But the dreams were gone, sent away to the back of his mind. Forgotten and missed.  
  
Suddenly he felt a rock hit his head, he shot up in bed and stared around the room, "What the hell?"  
  
Kagome sat whistling over is bed.  
  
Inuyasha glared murderously at her, "Why'd you do that bitch?"  
  
"Do what?" she asked innocently.  
  
"You damn well what I'm talking about, don't give me the innocence act!"  
  
"Define innocence," she smiled.  
  
Inuyasha sneered, "Innocence is a nun working in a condom factory thinking she's making sleeping bags for rodents, now shut the hell up and tell me why you dropped a rock on my head?"  
  
"For fun and profit."  
  
"I hate you."  
  
"I know."  
  
Inuyasha plopped down on his bed trying to think up a good comeback, it suddenly came to him in a "vision" and he turned around to yell at her, only to discover she was gone, "Damn it."  
  
Kagome took the opportunity of Inuyasha being turned away and floated through the ceilings to the roof. She'd made her decision, she wanted to have a human body, even if it was only for five minutes, she wanted to remember what it felt like to be a human, and not some floating...thing.  
  
When she reached the roof, Naraku was already sitting there, sipping tea from a little cup he'd undoubtedly stolen from the kitchen, which she'd done herself over the years.  
  
"Ah, Kagome-chan, welcome, sit down and welcome to my domain."  
  
"This is the roof of a house, Naraku," Kagome said dryly.  
  
"Ahem yes, well, I feel like it should be my pad, wouldn't you say, the chimney can help me relieve myself, that little roof overhanging the window can be my bed..."  
  
"As much as I want to hear you're home furnishing, I didn't come here for that," Kagome said, the dry voice still taunting him.  
  
"Oh course, Kagome-chan, so have you come to your decision?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And what will it be?" Naraku said, trying to suppress the evil grin that was forming at the corners of his cheeks.  
  
Inuyasha banged through the door of the kitchen, "Kagome where the hell are you?"  
  
Miroku and Shippou looked up from the newspaper they'd been reading, well actually they were only reading the comics.  
  
Shippou squeaked and threw a rolled up sports section at Inuyasha, he still had the idea planted into his head that Inuyasha was a peeping tom.  
  
Inuyasha sidestepped and allowed the newspaper to bang against the wall.  
  
Miroku continued to read about Garfield and Peanuts and didn't look up, he only sipped his tea and said smartly, "Wow, Inuyasha, so you decided to leave the domain of your room? Sango and I have become quite worried."  
  
"I'm not alone."  
  
Miroku peered at him from over the edge of Sherman's Lagoon. He sighed and folded the newspaper neatly, each page lining up perfectly, "Oh course, you have that imaginary friend of yours, what was it Kahome?"  
  
"Kagome."  
  
"Yes, that's right," Miroku sipped his tea and shot a glare at Inuyasha, "I don't like you worrying Sango the way you are."  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes, "Save it. Kagome is real, you just can't see her for some reason."  
  
"Whatever," Miroku said, still glaring at Inuyasha, "at least try to convince Sango that you're not going crazy over the 'accident' though she refuses to tell me what it is."  
  
"It's none of your business, you pervert," Inuyasha growled and left the kitchen in search for his cousin.  
  
"Wait, Inuyasha!" Miroku came running out of the kitchen and peered at Inuyasha, "This Kagome, is she hot?"  
  
Inuyasha bashed him over the head and continued on his way towards the study, where he was sure Sango would be.  
  
Kagome looked over the horizon, the sun was beginning to set, and only the faint red glow could be seen over the mountains.  
  
"I want to be human."  
  
Naraku smiled, "But of course you do, dearest Kagome-chan, it's been your dream for hundreds of years, has it not?"  
  
"I no longer keep track of time, for I never age, due to my curse, I am not a day older then when Kikyo gave me the curse."  
  
"Yes, about Kikyo..."  
  
Kagome's eyes narrowed, "What about her?"  
  
"Well you see, in order to give you a human body, I have to overcome the power of the curse, momentarily. Therefore, Kikyo's power shines through, and while you're in human form, you'll look exactly like Kikyo."  
  
"_What_?"  
  
"Relax, Kagome-chan, furthermore, you will have to known as Kikyo, whenever you are a 'human'. And, when Kikyo becomes 'tired', you'll have to do me a favor."  
  
"What kind of favor?"  
  
"I'm sure I'll discover that when the time comes, are you ready Kagome...I mean Kikyo-chan?" Naraku awaited Kagome's response.  
  
Kagome bit her lip, she defiantly wanted to do this, wanted to be human, so maybe she'd actually have a chance with Inuyasha, "Yes, I'm ready."  
  
"Oh and one more thing, Kikyo-chan, no one can know that you're Kagome, you have to act like Kikyo, can you do that? If you fail to do so, you'll lose the human body," Naraku nodded and awaited Kagome's response.  
  
Kagome cringed but nodded. All she wanted to do was become human again.  
  
Naraku grinned and engulfed himself in dark blue flame, surrounding him like a shield, Kagome noted that it looked a lot like Kikyo's flame she used to put the curse on her.  
  
Naraku took a step closer and extended a clawed finger, just lightly poking her in the arm. A piercing pain shot through her and she let out a cry, but no words left her lips, she screamed her silent scream as she clutched her arm. Light was encasing her to the point when she was blinded, she felt her eyes roll back and felt her body changing.  
  
And then as soon as it started, it stopped and Kagome opened her eyes to see that Naraku had disappeared, though his evil cackle still hung in the air.  
  
She stood up and fell to her knees. She looked at her legs and was surprised to see they were longer and more slender than her legs were before. She reached out a hand to touch them but gasped when she saw that her nails were long, unbitten, and they too were long and slender.  
  
She gulped and reached a hand to grab her hair. It slipped through her fingers, it was much silkier and longer then her other hair. Stringier too. She tried standing again and wondered what else about her changed.  
  
She looked around and then cursed mentally.  
  
She was on a roof, how the hell was she going to get down? She started to walk looking for a window when she tripped over her feet, which had grown tinier, and fell off the three story roof.  
  
Inuyasha walked outside, not knowing where else Sango could be, he'd searched the whole house for any signs for Sango or Kagome, but came up blank.  
  
He sighed, "Women..."  
  
Suddenly a high-pitched shriek filled the air and Inuyasha looked up, coming down from the sky was a girl, she was falling, "What the hell?"  
  
Inuyasha caught the girl before she hit the ground and stared. She was panting and grabbing onto him like her life depended on it.  
  
"What the hell?" Inuyasha repeated.  
  
The girl cracked open an eye and stared at him. She smiled, but the smile was cold.  
  
He gasped, "Kagome?"  
  
Kagome paled, _'He can't already recognize me can he?_' She quickly shook her head and smiled, aware of how cold it must seem, "Kagome? Who is this Kagome?"  
  
Kagome gasped slightly at how cold and bitter her own voice sounds_, 'I really am Kikyo in this form...scary!'  
_  
Inuyasha blinked and set down Kagome, "Sorry, I thought you were someone else, who are you anyway?"  
  
"Well, you certainly waste no time."  
  
"Well I think I have a right considering that you came crashing from the sky," Inuyasha shrugged and then awaited her answer, "I'm Inuyasha by the way."  
  
"Kag...Kikyo, my name is Kikyo," Kagome quickly caught herself before she let her actual name slip.  
  
Kikyo. That name sparked something deep within Inuyasha, but he couldn't remember where he'd heard it before, it was annoyingly familiar, but he couldn't place his finger on it.  
  
"Oh, um, so what are you doing all the way out here?" Inuyasha asked, wanting to start up conversation.  
  
"Oh, I was...I got lost, yeah," Kagome said, trying to sound carefree but her voice came out as a cold and uncaring voice. Deep within her she was screaming _'It's me, Kagome! Damn it!'_  
  
"Oh, well, do you want to come inside, or something, I would think you'd be shaken after falling from...wherever you came from," Inuyasha motioned to the front door, offering his hand he led Kagome inside.  
  
"Thank you," she smiled, but it was the cold smile again. What was up with this Kikyo lady, Ice Queen or what?  
  
Inuyasha led her to the living room where he flopped down on the couch.  
  
"So, where's your room?" Kagome asked, and slapped herself, now she was sounding like a hooker.  
  
Inuyasha tensed, he didn't want to tell this girl they couldn't go into his room because he was worried a girl who could float and only he could see might do something evil, making him yell at her.  
  
"Uh, we can't go up there," he said quietly.  
  
"Oh...why not?"  
  
"Because...um," Inuyasha's brain went into overdrive thinking really hard for a good lie, "There's a cow living up there."  
  
_'Oh damn it, that was so lame, a cow in my room?'_ Inuyasha mentally kicked himself.  
  
"Oh," Kagome had to refrain from bursting out laughing, that was the worst lie she'd ever heard.  
  
Kagome suddenly felt a weird feeling come over her and felt her legs and arms growing shorter, and her hair started to grow shorter. She let out a surprised gasp, she was turning back into Kagome!  
  
She suddenly stood up, "I have to go now! _Bye_!"  
  
She rushed out of the house with Inuyasha yelling after her, "Wait!"  
  
Kagome jumped high into the air, and went through the third story wall, she breathed a sigh of relief, Inuyasha hadn't seen her change, only saw her leave.  
  
After she caught her breath she floated into their room. She sat on the bed waiting patiently.  
  
As if on cue, Inuyasha walked through the doorway to see Kagome, "And where the hell have you been?"  
  
"Somewhere."  
  
"I hate you."  
  
Kagome smiled sweetly, "I know."


	9. Breaking the Windows

**Under the Pale Autumn Moon  
**  
Inuyasha sat on his couch, clasping and unclasping his hands, his mind kept drifting to Kikyo, she was such an odd girl, kind of cold, but then again, she did fall from the sky, and it gets really cold up there if you go up high enough.  
  
Kagome watched him, she felt bad about lying to him about being Kikyo, but she really wanted to have that human body.  
  
"You look down in the dumps, Inu," Kagome said softly as she floated over to Inuyasha, he only shrugged and looked away, "Is something the matter?"  
  
Inuyasha shook his head and looked away again, his mind was drifting, and he wasn't really listening to Kagome anymore.  
  
"Inuyasha?"  
  
Inuyasha looked up and met Kagome's blue-gray eyes. Hers were so much warmer than Kikyo's, full of life, even if she wasn't human; it put his mind at ease to be so close to Kagome. She hesitantly sat down on the couch next to him, clearing her throat; she searched her brain for something to break the silence.  
  
"So, how've you been?" Inuyasha cursed, he was never good at opening conversations.  
  
"Oh can't complain," Kagome shrugged and giggled when she notice Inuyasha relax.  
  
After their little conversation, Kagome floated over Inuyasha who was dozing on the couch. He'd released himself from his sealing spell, and it flattered Kagome. The thought that he trusted her enough to become a hanyou in front of her touched her for some reason.  
  
The memory of when she first saw Inuyasha as a hanyou came back to her and she began to giggle. Inuyasha cracked open an and looked at her, "What's so funny?"  
  
Kagome grinned, "I didn't know that dogs purred."  
  
Inuyasha looked confused for a second before remembering her touching his ears, and his purring, he blushed and then huffed, "Dogs don't purr."  
  
"Then what were you doing when I touched your ears?"  
  
"Growling friendly-like," Inuyasha stated as if it were the simplest thing in the world, "Now don't bug me."  
  
Kagome giggled and stroked his ears, Inuyasha fought the urge to 'growl friendly-like' but failed miserably, he leaned into Kagome's embrace and they just stay like that for a while.  
  
Suddenly Shippou came charging through the doorway and was surprised to see a hanyou on the couch the peeping tom was suppose to own, "_Ack_!"  
  
"Oh shit," Inuyasha muttered and pounced on the boy.  
  
Kagome sighed, "Should have seen this coming..."  
  
Shippou yelped when Inuyasha landed on top of him, "Alright brat, you're not going to say a word of what you just saw, understand?"  
  
Inuyasha transformed back into his human form, and chuckled when Shippou's eyes got larger than saucers.  
  
"Now, I'm going to let go of you, and you're going to leave and act as if nothing happened, ok?"  
  
Shippou nodded and as soon as Inuyasha removed his hand he was out of there, screaming, "_Sango-Sama, Sango-Sama, Sango-Sama, Sango-Sama! I have something to tell you!_"  
  
Inuyasha cursed and raced after Shippou. Leaving Kagome to drift out the window and down to the second story. She transformed into Kikyo and rang the doorbell promptly.  
  
Miroku answered the door and grinned, "Why, my dreams must be coming true, for an angel as fallen from the sky, how may I be of service, milady?"  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes, "Grow up, that was the lamest pick-up line I've ever heard, anyways, is Inuyasha home?" she asked already knowing the answer.  
  
Miroku grinned, "Ah, so this is were Inuyasha has been going lately!"  
  
Kagome sighed, "Hentai."  
  
Miroku moved aside and allowed Kagome to walk in, just in time to see Shippou run by followed by a pissed off human Inuyasha.  
  
Inuyasha paused when he saw Kagome and smiled, "Hey."  
  
"Hello," Kagome said politely.  
  
Inuyasha walked over to Kikyo smiling, "Miroku, kill Shippou for me, I'm busy."  
  
Miroku grinned, bowed, and then left the two alone.  
  
Inuyasha sighed and turned to face Kagome, he smiled sweetly. Kagome felt her heart flutter, but then she reminded herself that he was smiling at Kikyo, not Kagome.  
  
He started walking out of the house and she followed, they walked in silence until Inuyasha finally said, "Do you believe in ghosts?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, curious.  
  
"I mean, do you believe in people who can move through walls, who can float, can turn translucent at will, that kind of stuff?"  
  
Kagome smiled, she was about to say yes when she felt a weird feeling come over her, it felt like she didn't have control over her body, and she couldn't stop herself, "Oh course not, that is an ignorant thing to believe."  
  
Kagome's eyes widened, how could she say that? That wasn't what she was going to say! This was so odd and Kagome was so confused.  
  
Inuyasha nodded, "I suppose it is, but it doesn't stop me in believing it," he said quietly, so quietly Kagome had to strain to hear, she regretted it because she felt her body moving without her.  
  
"You're an optimistic aren't you?" she sneered. Kagome gasped deep within her, what was happening, she suddenly broke into a run, "I'm sorry I have to go!"  
  
Inuyasha watched her go sadly, "I guess being an optimistic moron is better than being lonely and pessimistic."  
  
Inuyasha walked up the staircase towards his room, he really wanted to talk to Kagome, though she was the most annoying person in the world, he liked talking to her, she always made him feel better.  
  
He opened the door and was happy to see that Kagome was hanging upside down staring at him as she hugged a stuffed hamster.  
  
He smiled and flopped down onto his bed, and released himself from his sealing spell (after making sure the door was locked).  
  
He moved over to click on a light to discover that the light bulb was burned out, he sighed.  
  
He then looked up at Kagome and grinned, "Kagome?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"How many floating people does it take to change a light bulb?" Kagome gave him a dry look, "One, in other words: you."  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes, "Yes, heaven forbid you get off your lazy ass."  
  
She floated up and into the room above him and the light suddenly came on, she floated back rubbing her hands together as if she had been burned.  
  
"What'd you do?" Inuyasha asked curiously.  
  
"I sparked the light bulb," Kagome stated matter-of-factly, she looked at his bemused expression and laughed, "I'm a miko, I have these powers."  
  
She clutched her mouth and realized what she just said; she'd never told anyone since the curse that she was miko.  
  
Inuyasha shrugged, but something was pulling in his mind, like a story of a miko he'd heard before, he didn't know where though.  
  
Suddenly the window burst open and Miroku stood triumphantly, he held up a victory sign with his fingers and started doing a little dance right in his room.  
  
Sango soon followed, grumbling about the injustice of cooks, and Shippou came in armed with a baseball bat.  
  
While Shippou and Sango were trying to stop Miroku from making a complete ass of himself Inuyasha quickly put his sealing spell on.  
  
Finally Sango tackled Miroku to the ground, "Shut up you stupid cook!"  
  
Miroku grinned, "HA! You owe me ten dollars!"  
  
"But, Miroku, you owe me five dollars," Shippou piped up.  
  
Inuyasha looked confused for a second before clearing his throat, all three of the companions looked up in surprise, having forgotten about Inuyasha for a moment.  
  
"What the hell are you three doing?"  
  
Sango grumbled, "Miroku said you talked to your 'imaginary friend' and I didn't think it was true, so I made a bet, and Shippou made a bet that you're door would be locked, making us have to use the window."  
  
Shippou and Miroku grinned, both pocketing their five dollars.


	10. Kindred Spirits

**Under the Pale Autumn Moon  
  
---**  
  
Inuyasha continued to have his bewildered look playing across his face as he stared at the cook, the annoying little rat child, and his cousin. The three named people continued to sit on the ground and look up at him with odd looks on their faces.  
  
Inuyasha finally threw his arms up into the air, "Why the hell are you still in my room?"  
  
Sango, Miroku, Shippou, and even Kagome jumped and looked at Inuyasha. Growling like a dog, Inuyasha pointed an evil glare at the three occupants who were standing/sitting amid the broken shards of glass.  
  
"Ok. Let me say this in a way you might understand. Get. Out. Of. My. Room. _Now_!" Inuyasha picked up Shippou and flung him out the door, Miroku and Sango exchanged looks and then left as well, muttering about Inuyasha and not enough coffee.  
  
Kagome watched them go with mild interest. She turned to Inuyasha with a smile, "Ok, I told you about me being a miko, now you have to tell me something!"  
  
"Oh great," Inuyasha said sarcastically, "What, pray tell, is it that you could possibly want to know?"  
  
"Why are you a hanyou?" she asked, Inuyasha's eyes widened in shock and then he grunted, flopping down onto his bed and staring up at the ceiling, a pained expression dancing across his face.  
  
Kagome bit her bottom lip, she hadn't meant to make Inuyasha feel uneasy, and certainly not pain, and she lowered her gaze and turned to seep through the floor.  
  
"It only happened about a month ago." Kagome jumped and looked at Inuyasha, who was staring at his now transformed claws, smiling sadly he flexed the claws, allowing the nails to trace his palm lightly, "I wasn't always this way."  
  
Kagome looked at him sadly and then sat herself at the foot of the bed. Not saying a word, in case he didn't want to tell her much.  
  
Inuyasha didn't shift his gaze, kept staring at the same spot on the ceiling, "believe it or not, I used to be fully human."  
  
Turning back to his human form he stared at the dull human nails, blinking his amethyst eyes he smiled the same small and sad smile, "I was normal."  
  
Kagome blinked but still sad nothing.  
  
"I lived a normal life with my two parents and I was happy," he closed his eyes as if trying to push the painful memories back, "But that all changed one day."  
  
"What happened?" Kagome whispered silently.  
  
"I met a youkai," Inuyasha stated as if it were the most simple thing in the world, "of course, I didn't know he was at the time."  
  
He sat up now and looked at the wall with the peeling paint, "I pissed him off somehow, I don't know, maybe he just was in a bad mood, but when I got home I saw him sitting on my roof, damn it, at the time I had no idea why the hell he was up there, he said something about the roof being the perfect home."  
  
Kagome suddenly got a feeling in the pit of her stomach.  
  
"Anyways, I ran inside my house and found my parents gone. Just gone. Nothing was left behind, it was a totally empty house," he rubbed his head irritably, "I ran back outside and asked the bastard youkai what the hell he did, and he only said _'you shouldn't mess with the best_' and I was about to call the police when he made a deal with me."  
  
"A deal?"  
  
"He said if I did something for him I'd bring my parents back."  
  
"And what did you do?"  
  
"Do? Kagome, what else COULD I do? I wanted my parents to be safe, so being the fool that I am, I agreed."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
"Yeah, he brought my parents back, but they weren't the same. My father was cold and icy, and my mother, my mother was the worst, she didn't speak, she didn't eat, and I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't breathe. She just wasn't alive anymore."  
  
"I wanted to back out of the deal, seeing my parents that way was too much," he clenched his fist, "but that bastard. He didn't like people backing out of deals, so he punished me."  
  
"...By turning you into a hanyou?"  
  
"Yeah." He said sadly, "when I came to, my parents were gone, and I ran, I ran as far as I could, I only wanted to be human again. And when I awoke. Lo and behold, I was human, and I was happy. But then I turned back, and that's how I discovered I could give myself a sealing spell. I called Sango the next day and she took me in."  
  
Kagome and Inuyasha sat in silence for a while until Kagome said, "I'm sorry."  
  
"I don't want your pity, bitch, I don't even know why the hell I told you all that."  
  
"Maybe because we're kindred spirits," Kagome said softly, Inuyasha looked at her, sighed and got up to leave.  
  
Kagome sat as Kikyo in the garden, watching the roses sadly, she heard foot steps behind her and she looked back only to see Miroku standing over her.  
  
"Why, if it isn't you Kikyo-San, why may I ask are you residing in Sango-Sama's rose garden?"  
  
Kikyo smiled sadly, "Roses bring back painful memories."  
  
"Yeah that explains a lot."  
  
Kikyo rolled her eyes, "I suppose not."  
  
"Well, if I could rearrange the alphabet I'd put 'U' and 'I' next to each other."  
  
Kikyo raised an eyebrow and rose from her bench, "That was worst than the angel pick up line."  
  
Miroku shrugged, "Do your legs hurt?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Because you've been running through my mind all day."  
  
"That was even worst!"  
  
"I'm just trying to make you smile Lady Kikyo, you would look better," Miroku turned and walked back into the house, seemingly oblivious.  
  
Kikyo scowled at his retreating back but sat back down in a huff on the bench, staring at the white roses painfully.  
  
A few minutes later another person sat next to her on the bench, thinking it was Miroku she scowled deeper and turned, "Leave me alone you hentai."  
  
Chuckling made her realize that it was Inuyasha sitting near her, he smiled at her but she could see sadness in his eyes, _'Must still be sad about telling me about what happened.'_ She thought sadly.  
  
Trying her best to smile she fiddled with a petal of the rose, "Good afternoon."  
  
"Had better," he replied but watched her look at the rose gardens, "What are you doing here?"  
  
Kikyo closed her eyes and exhaled deeply, "Your house has lovely roses, I am sorry for intruding."  
  
"No, it's fine I was just wondering."  
  
Sighing lightly Kikyo looked at the roses; fingering the soft, velvety petals gingerly she soon became lost in the smell of the roses. True, Kouga had given her roses many times before, and afterwards she'd been too depressed to even look at roses without burning them. But now, she felt a sudden calm sitting in the rose patch, or maybe it was because of a certain hanyou?


	11. When Feelings Hurt

**Under the Pale Autumn Moon  
  
---**  
  
Kikyo watched Inuyasha fidget, if she were Kagome she would have giggled, but this woman's icy interior prevented from her doing such a thing.  
  
Kikyo watched the man with her poker face and made no move. But deep within her, Kagome's heart was melting and flipping and flopping and turning and crunching and doing the polka with her stomach. If she'd been Kagome, she would be blushing a bright cherry red.  
  
Since when did a man make her feel this way? And Inuyasha for that matter? Sure, Kouga had been nice, sure she'd wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, but he'd never done this to her heart.  
  
Inuyasha tensed up. He could feel Kikyo drawing closer to him but he couldn't figure out why. Kikyo was a nice woman, a little cold, but it was nice to talk to someone from outside the manor.  
  
He turned his head slightly to see in fact Kikyo _was_ drawing closer. _'Oh shit, she's going to kiss me isn't she, isn't she? Damn it! I like her, but not that way, think fast inu!'  
_  
Inuyasha's mind was screaming at him to do something. Warning bells were ringing in his head, telling him to bolt. But he wasn't that kind of man, he didn't let his fears get in the way of his dignity! He gulped slightly as Kikyo began to move in slow motion.  
  
He contemplated whether he should bolt or maybe he should just punch her and say it was an accident. No, that wouldn't work. He was raised to never hit girls, damn it! How he wished he were raised differently at that time. Maybe if he pretended to yawn and then just so happened to break her nose? Nah, that wouldn't work. Slapping himself mentally he cursed himself for not having any brain cells at this time.  
  
_'DAMN IT!' _Inuyasha screamed over and over again. He whipped some hair out of his face, and he was suddenly dawned with an idea.  
  
Kikyo was just about to touch her soft and rosy lips to Inuyasha's when it instead settled on his hand. Blinking open her eyes she stared at the hand and then into Inuyasha's violet eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said so softly Kikyo had to lean in to hear him properly.  
  
Kikyo pulled back slightly hurt, "...I...?"  
  
Inuyasha averted his eyes and instead looked at the blood red roses on his left, "There's someone else."  
  
Kikyo's eyes grew wide and before she could stop herself she slapped Inuyasha. Hard. Turning from him she high-tailed it and fled, into the forest and into a small clearing where she cried until Kagome began to seep through the cold skin of Kikyo and gradually became the floating ball of delight.  
  
But she didn't seem as bubbly as before.  
  
Inuyasha wandered the halls of the huge house noiselessly and yet he felt that every little squeak sounded like a huge blow horn screeching at max volume over a large speakerphone. Ever little sound hurt his ears. Every thing hurt inside, not because of not kissing Kikyo. But making her cry. He felt horrible, to put it lightly.  
  
He hadn't meant to make Kikyo run off crying like that! Damn it, he barely knew the woman and she was throwing herself onto him like a slut! He knew she wasn't a slut. She didn't seem like that kind of girl, damn it, so why did he feel so lousy all of a sudden?  
  
Frowning in irritation he walked into his room, hoping to see Kagome in floating that always cheered him up, but instead, he saw the poor floating girl slumped against the coffee table sadly as if she'd lived through the great depression. He wondered briefly if she'd ever been to America.  
  
The girl looked up when he came in and her eyes were pained and filled with angst and torment. Like she'd seen hell and lived to tell about it. Forgetting about Kikyo he flung himself over to her and looked at the side of her head. Having turned away much like Kikyo had. Was he cursed to have all these woman turn away from him?  
  
"Kagome?" he asked softly, sweeping some of her loose ebony bangs out of her delicate face, "Kagome what's the matter?"  
  
Kagome shook her head and looked away; smiling a heart wrenching, sickeningly sad smile she only looked at him longingly, "Inuyasha."  
  
"Kagome?" he asked again reaching out to touch her but she floated down beneath the floor and out of his sight, "...Kagome?"  
  
He looked at the spot she'd been sitting only moments before and he wondered sadly what had happened to have her look so awful.  
  
Kagome floated through floor to ceiling to floor and ceiling again until she was in the basement, the only place she knew she could be alone. It wasn't fair.  
  
Here she was...  
  
Groveling over a man she couldn't even have. Here she was! After Kouga she had promised herself she wouldn't fall in love with _anyone_ ever again! Yet, Inuyasha...came, and he was so lonely. Plus stole he stole her room. And they'd made a harmless and innocent friendship, yet here she was yearning more from the silver/black haired hanyou.  
  
She sniffed and looked at the ceiling, "How can reality be this cruel?"  
  
She couldn't have Inuyasha. She couldn't have him unless she was human. And she didn't want Inuyasha to love Kikyo. She wanted him to love her. Kagome. Ka. Go. Me.  
  
She sniffed and wiped the remainder of the tears away and stood up bravely, "I will not cry for him!"  
  
Floating through the ceiling to floor to ceiling to floor to ceiling to roof, she sat on the roof, making sure to dodge Inuyasha's room.  
  
"Nice view."  
  
Kagome jumped and whirled around to see Naraku sitting in his classic baboon pelt and sitting atop one of the chimneys.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
"Didn't I tell you? I live on this roof."  
  
Kagome raised an eyebrow from her red, tear-stained eyes, "Really now?"  
  
"Well, ok, I come here when I want," he replied icily, "How's the human body been treating you?"  
  
"Like hell."  
  
"You don't know what hell's like, sweetie."  
  
"I don't understand why I have to be Kikyo."  
  
"And what's so bad about that?"  
  
"I don't want to be her." Naraku stiffened slightly but soon regained his composer. Going unnoticed to Kagome.  
  
"Now that isn't nice, love."  
  
"Don't call me that."  
  
"I can call you whatever I want."  
  
"You don't own me."  
  
And to Kagome's horror, Naraku laughed. An evil, icy, blood-run-cold kind of laugh.  
  
Kagome paled as Naraku stood and grabbed Kagome by the hair, "Don't mock me Kago-Chan, I control your Kikyo form."  
  
Kagome's eyes widened.  
  
"And when your human body tires, you will be completely mine!" Naraku chuckled to himself, "enjoy your freedom while it lasts."  
  
And then he was gone.  
  
Kagome stared in horror at where Naraku had been an hour ago. One hour. One hour of sitting and staring. One hour of her freedom going down the drain, one hour of her precious life being wasted.  
  
And yet, she still couldn't believe it.  
  
Tears had long ago dried up and there was noting more for her swollen eyes to let loose. Her life...sucked, to put it in a nice way. She'd sold her soul to Naraku without realizing it, she embarrassed the shit out of herself in Kikyo's form, and she couldn't face Inuyasha as Kagome because it was painful to know she couldn't love him back.  
  
Kagome stared sourly around the landscape. If only she could die, then she could put herself out of her misery. Then she could be happy. Or would she? She felt a pang run through her heart.  
  
Sniffing she snuck through the ceiling and into the kitchen, searching around for Miroku. The dumb ass was so dense he never noticed when Kagome would steal the food, if he had, he would have noticed floating food.  
  
That's why she liked him as the cook.  
  
Floating around the room she finally located some food. The corner of her eyes caught Sango and Miroku making out. Kagome did a double take. _'Sango and Miroku making out?'_ In all her years in this manor, the two hadn't seemed like the type to go together. Go figure.  
  
Kagome felt another pang in her heart as she turned away and tried to erase her mind of them kissing. The one thing she longed to do with Inuyasha. Slapping herself mentally about thinking such things she stole an apple and floated through the ceiling before the salvia-swapping duo noticed a hovering fruit.  
  
As soon as she realized where she was it was too late to run away, because Inuyasha pounced on her and looked at her with pleading eyes, "Don't run away from me, please."


	12. Naraku is so Popular

**Under the Pale Autumn Moon  
  
---**  
  
Kagome struggled to get out of his grip for a moment before staring into his deep, depressing violet eyes. She sighed in defeat and nodded sadly.  
  
Inuyasha noted the sadness in her expression and released her, he smiled softly and held out a hand to her, she took it and her heart did a drop straight to her stomach at the tingling feeling she received when Inuyasha smiled in relief.  
  
"Kagome?" Kagome felt that dropping feeling again when he called her name, "what's wrong?"  
  
Kagome tensed and turned away slightly looking at her feet as if they were the most interesting thing in the world.  
  
Gulping loudly she forced a totally fake and somewhat unnerving smile on her face, "Nothing why do you ask?"  
  
Inuyasha backed up a step when Kagome smiled her oh-so-evil smile but soon gave her a dry look, "I think the moping around and crying slightly was a sure sign, plus, you aren't looking me in the eyes, which you usually do, and also, you haven't said a wise-crack or fucking annoying comment. Something's up."  
  
Kagome sighed, "Do you make it your hobby to try and memorize what I do when I'm depressed, happy, excited and so on?"  
  
Inuyasha beamed proudly, "Yup."  
  
"Why?" Was Kagome's dry response.  
  
"Because I care about you," Was Inuyasha's plain and blunt response, saying it as if it were the most normal thing in the world.  
  
Kagome's heart leapt into her throat before it came crashing down into the pit of her stomach. She blushed softly and looked away from him, trying to make her heart stop beating so fast.  
  
"Now tell me what's wrong."  
  
Kagome made no reply for a while, "I can't tell you."  
  
Inuyasha seemed a little disappointed but nodded, "I understand if you don't want to talk about it."  
  
He smiled lightly and walked over to her. He reached around her shoulder and pulled her into a one-armed hug before walking off and out of the room, before shutting the door he looked over a Kagome and smiled, "And Kag, if you want to tell me, I'm here for you, remember that."  
  
Kagome could do nothing but nod stupidly.  
  
Inuyasha walked down the hall. _'Why the hell did I just fucking do that?'_ he screamed to himself. Walking numbly around he dodged the maids who were scurrying around trying to clean before Sango got up and did her rounds.  
  
Walking into the kitchen he searched around for some food. That was all Miroku was good for in his opinion. Plus, he was too busy chasing skirts to notice when he stole food from his working hands.  
  
Grabbing an apple he turned to leave, sighing softly he noted the smell of some kind of soup. Good. Kagome liked soup. He blushed softly, now that he stopped to think about it, he knew a lot about the floating girl.  
  
He looked around the room; everything always seemed so normal in Sango's house. Except Kagome, who had gone unnoticed for a long time it seemed. He looked at the fridge, where little pictures drawn by Shippou hung loosely with the cheep magnets that were only worth 25 yen. Then he saw something that almost made him drop the apple.  
  
_Miroku and Sango making out!_  
  
"BAD IMAGE!" Inuyasha yelled. But he noted with disgust that the couple seemed oblivious to him, he quickly made his exit.  
  
What was this feeling in the pit of his stomach?  
  
It was very annoying.  
  
"BAD IMAGE!" Kagome looked up from her apple to hear Inuyasha scream and heard a door slamming. Sighing deeply she concluded that he'd seen Sango and Miroku.  
  
Her heart did that weird drop again. It was very infuriating how it kept doing that. The lifting itself up only to drop down into the bowels of her stomach thing.  
  
The door slammed open to reveal Inuyasha, with the look of someone who'd just watched 'the ten greatest animal lovers' on the animal planet.  
  
Slouching onto the couch beside Kagome he muttered things that she couldn't hear before he finally realized that she was looking at him intently, "What?"  
  
Kagome shook her head, "No." she smiled softly, "it's nothing."  
  
Inuyasha placed his chin in his hand and rested it on his knee, staring at her, "Sometimes, Kagome," he said softly which caused Kagome to stop munching her apple to look at him, "sometimes, 'nothing' really is a way of saying 'something'."  
  
Kagome almost choked on her apple chunk residing in her mouth at the cool, enlightened look in Inuyasha's eyes. She gulped down the apple and stared back into his calm eyes.  
  
Kagome hesitated, '_All right, time to say something that will prove your fine.'  
_  
"Huh?" Was Kagome's intelligent response. _'Oh god, Kagome...'_ she thought to herself.  
  
Inuyasha chuckled softly and sat up, scratching the back of his neck, but never leaving eye contact with Kagome. Violet with Blue.  
  
"Kagome?" he said almost too softly. Kagome wondered what had gotten into Inuyasha. Why was he so gentle, so kind?  
  
"Y-yes?" she asked timidly.  
  
"Have you ever wanted someone you couldn't have?" he asked, his eyes glazed over with an unknown passion.  
  
Kagome almost gasped at the irony. Who the hell could Inuyasha love so much?  
  
Who could Inuyasha want? Kikyo? Most likely, but that didn't explain why he didn't let Kikyo kiss him. She shrugged mentally.  
  
Realizing Inuyasha was waiting for an answer she nodded, "I have."  
  
Inuyasha nodded lightly and stood up, "Okay."  
  
And he walked out of the room again, leaving Kagome to ponder whom he could want.  
  
She looked up at the ceiling and smiled sadly at the chipped paint flecks that floated into the light of the window, "If only you knew how much."  
  
Inuyasha walked out of the room because he felt the heat rising in his cheeks. He _would not_ let Kagome see him blush, and over such a dumb question too.  
  
He cursed silently to himself as he climbed the staircase to the attic. He slipped into the dusty box-filled area. He had found it a few days ago, when he had to be alone for a while, and he discovered that by grabbing the overhanging on the upper part of one of the windows, he could swing himself completely onto the roof.  
  
And he did so whenever he wanted to be alone. Or away from Kikyo. Or away from Sango. Or Kagome. All right, away from people.  
  
Sighing softly he grabbed the overhanging and swung himself onto the tile-plated roof, leaning against a chimney and staring off into the sunset.  
  
The only problem with the roof was that it reminded him of Naraku. He was so busy with his thoughts that he didn't notice when Kagome slid through the roof and into full view. Leaving her hazy form she watched Inuyasha skeptically, him still in his trance.  
  
"Damn you, Naraku," Inuyasha muttered to himself.


	13. It rises up, to come crashing down

**Under the Pale Autumn Moon  
**  
"Damn Naraku," Inuyasha muttered to himself  
  
Kagome gasped. Inuyasha knew who Naraku was? The gasp made Inuyasha turn around and look at her with a skeptical look.  
  
"Are you always around me or something?" he asked bitterly and Kagome blushed, Inuyasha sighed and looked back out towards the woods.  
  
"Inuyasha?" she asked softly.  
  
"What?" Inuyasha snapped.  
  
Kagome fiddled with her fingers and sat next to him, "Um..."  
  
Inuyasha gave her a dry look before staring at the gutters at the edge of the roof, the dead leaves filling it up to the brim, which explains why the roof leaked at times...  
  
Inuyasha was growing impatient, "Look if your not going to tell me then can you fucking shut up?"  
  
Kagome's anger flared, "How rude!"  
  
Inuyasha gave her a mocking look.  
  
Kagome sighed and remained silent for a long while before turning to him, "Who's Naraku?"  
  
Oh course she already knew but didn't want to give away the fact that she knew.  
  
Inuyasha sighed, "A bastard."  
  
Kagome sighed, "I didn't mean it like that! I meant...well I don't know what I meant!"  
  
Inuyasha smiled softy, and then his eyes turned hard and cold, "He's someone who destroyed my life."  
  
Kagome looked at him in shock.  
  
"He's what turned me into this!" Inuyasha pointed to his twitching ears, "He's the one that killed and corrupted my family!"  
  
He clenched his fists together until the his claws started to draw blood, the crimson liquid dripping down his hands as he punched the roof, causing a little hole to form.  
  
Kagome looked at him pitifully, not sure how to respond. He noticed the look and he snarled at her, "Didn't I tell you before that I didn't want your pity?"  
  
Kagome looked away, "I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be, it's not like you controlled what happened in my life," Inu- yasha muttered.  
  
Kagome nodded.  
  
"If I ever find out where Naraku is I'll kill him, that bastard...he ruined my life," Inuyasha snarled, and then looked over at Kagome.  
  
Kagome looked back, her eyes were soft and had a far-away look in them, "Kindred spirits," she muttered absently.  
  
Inuyasha smiled slightly, "Yeah...kindred spirits."  
  
Kagome faded through the roof and was out of sight, leaving Inuyasha to his musings.  
  
Kagome felt like slamming her head through a wall. It was Naraku! The Naraku who now "owned" her! Kagome tried to remain calm but soon discovered that she was freaking out completely, running down the hall screaming.  
  
But she didn't notice when she ran straight into Sango.  
  
Sango and she both fell flat on their asses, Sango looked around in bewilderment, "Who's there?"  
  
But Kagome was gone.  
  
She was outside to be exact, slapping herself mentally for falling for Naraku's trap and for running into Sango.  
  
She sighed and stomped her foot down on top of a white rose, watching as the petals turned a murky brown from the mud she was grounding the pure flower into.  
  
Pure.  
  
Whatever.  
  
Her was about to stomp back down on the poor defenseless flower when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned around to see Inuyasha standing there, back in human form, staring quizzically at her.  
  
She blushed and then laughed nervously, "Oops?"  
  
"You're an odd one sometimes, Kagome," Inuyasha stated and tapped her nose with his index finger, causing Kagome to blush softly.  
  
Kagome met his eyes and they began to move slowly towards each other, there eyes drifting closed as there lips were about to touch.  
  
_'Oh...gods, please don't push me away,'_ Kagome screamed to Inuyasha in her mind, knowing he couldn't hear her.  
  
_'Kagome...'_ was the only thought running through Inuyasha's mind.  
  
**WHOOSH**.  
  
The couple split apart at once and stared at the thing that had just arrived from the sky, Kagome felt her blood run cold at once.  
  
"Naraku," Inuyasha growled as his hands bunched into fists.  
  
Naraku smirked from beneath his baboon pelt, "Hello, Inuyasha, long time no see."  
  
Inuyasha growled deep within his throat and looked like he was about ready to pounce any moment now, Kagome felt a pang run through her...she knew this wouldn't turn out good.  
  
Naraku turned to her with a smile, "Why hello to you too, Koishii."  
  
Kagome's insides shattered right then, she felt herself break just like glass. _'What. Did. He. Just. Call. ME?!'_  
  
Naraku grinned and waved slightly to her, "I missed you too."  
  
Inuyasha stared in shock for a moment, not blinking, not moving, and not even breathing. He turned slowly to face Kagome, a look of disbelief written in his eyes.  
  
Naraku strolled over and put his arm around her shoulders, Kagome tried to get away, but Naraku was too strong, "Inuyasha, how has my koibito been treating you?"  
  
"Koi...koibito?" Inuyasha asked dumbstruck. He wouldn't make eye contact with Kagome, though she was desperately trying to get his attention, Naraku had used his powers to seal her mouth shut.  
  
Naraku grinned, "Ah yes, she's been working for me for quite some time now."  
  
Inuyasha bowed his head and his eyes were covered by his bangs, Kagome felt like crying out and running to him, but Naraku had a firm grip on her.  
  
Inuyasha was shaking, "You're lying. You have to be lying!"  
  
Naraku grinned, "Am I? Why don't you ask Kagome...or should I say, Kikyo?"  
  
Inuyasha looked up at that, his expression unreadable, Naraku released Kagome, and she began to change slowly into Kikyo.  
  
Her hair turned stringier and longer and her eyes grew colder, and she was remarkably paler, she gasped as she realized that the look Inuyasha was giving her...was hatred.  
  
Kagome felt her heart shatter into tinier pieces when that look pierced through her, her heart ached and she felt like crying, though Kikyo wouldn't allow it.  
  
Inuyasha was shaking with a hidden rage, his eyes were pure fire, "Naraku, Kagome would never do that, whatever her reasons are, I know they are pure."  
  
Kagome felt some hope then, maybe Inuyasha didn't believe Naraku?  
  
Naraku started to laugh, his icy evil laugh, "Really, Inuyasha? My little Kagome has been seducing you all along, with two identities, even, you see, I hated the idea putting you through hell as a hanyou, and wanted to have my koibito kill you and maybe put you out of your misery."  
  
Inuyasha's eyes widened, but the fire was still evident.  
  
Naraku turned to her, "Isn't that right, Koishii?"  
  
Kagome tried to call out to Inuyasha, tried to run to him, but here feet were planted firmly on the ground and her mouth shut tight.  
  
Inuyasha began to back up, shaking his head in disbelief, "I trusted you."  
  
Kagome began to cry, the tears slipping down her pale cheeks as Naraku smirked in the background, Kagome used all her willpower and turned herself back into the cursed form, tears still running silently down.  
  
Inuyasha glared at Kagome. "I trusted you," he repeated absently, his eyes pained, deep down inside his heart was breaking.  
  
"NO! Inuyasha, you have to believe me I didn't want this!" Kagome yelled, breaking herself free of Naraku's firm, yet invisible, grip.  
  
Inuyasha glared at her, "Don't feed me that shit."  
  
"Inuyasha, I would never do that! Never! Naraku's tricking you!" Kagome gasped softly from lack of air, she felt suddenly weak, her legs gave way and she fell silently to her knees, "Please..."  
  
Naraku chuckled, "Come now, Koishii."  
  
Kagome dodged the hand he had reached out to her, she began to crawl desperately towards Inuyasha, who had ceased to move, "...Please."  
  
Inuyasha gave her a cold look.  
  
"Inuyasha, please I never would do this, Naraku's lying, please, I-I love you!" Kagome gasped slightly to herself.  
  
Inuyasha's face looked unmoved, "I won't listen to your lies any longer," he remarked coolly as he turned and walked away into the house, clicking the lock shut behind him.  
  
Kagome felt everything she lived for smash to smithereens.


	14. Naraku's castle

**Under the Pale Autumn Moon  
  
**Kagome watched Inuyasha walk into the house and felt her heart smash into tinier pieces, she felt empty.  
  
"He...didn't believe me..." she whispered sadly as she felt tears run down her cheek.  
  
Naraku stifled a yawn and then turned to Kagome, "Come now, it is time to go."  
  
Suddenly, Kagome's anger returned, "_Why did you do that_!"  
  
Naraku smirked, "Because I own you."  
  
Kagome sobbed, "But you didn't have to ruin my life..."  
  
"Come now, Kagome-Chan, I'd be a much better lover than him," Naraku boasted to himself and it took all Kagome had not to reel back in disgust.  
  
"I'll never stoop myself so low," she muttered as she turned away from him.  
  
Naraku strolled over to her and slapped her. Hard. "Listen, Bitch, I'm trying to be kind, but if you make this hard for me, I might have to hurt you, now get the fuck up."  
  
Kagome cried out in pain as she gingerly touched her cheek, which was now beating a dark red, "Never."  
  
Naraku narrowed his eyes from beneath his baboon mask, "Then you leave me no choice."  
  
He leaned over and punched her across the other cheek, causing it to instantly swell and turn bluish black. Kagome cried out in anguish as he picked her up by her hair, dragging her feet along the pathway, her skull throbbing.  
  
"Now, I don't want to hurt you," Kagome snorted at that which resulted in another punch, "but you'll be a good bitch and listen to me. Now then, we're leaving."  
  
Kagome cast her gaze towards the house, a memory sparked in her aching head, "Sorry, but I cannot leave the forest."  
  
Naraku smirked, "Don't worry I'll make sure the curse has no effect on you."  
  
Kagome stared at him from her hanging position, wondering how he knew she had a curse that didn't allow her to leave the shadow of the forest. She stared at the smirking man and gulped, hoping that someone would save her soon.  
  
Inuyasha walked slowly through the house, his footsteps almost as heavy as his heart was. He'd trusted Kagome, and she'd been with Naraku the whole time. Played him for a fool. Hurt him...broke his heart.  
  
Had he loved Kagome?  
  
Probably.  
  
He leaned against his door, his forehead resting softly on the wood, he forced himself not to cry, though he felt his insides had been smashed and battered.  
  
Turning the doorknob lightly he slumped into his darkened room. _'That's funny, I could have sworn that I opened my curtains...'_  
  
Suddenly the light clicked on and Inuyasha whirled around to see...  
  
"What do you want Miroku?" Inuyasha groaned, walking towards the cook to push him out of his room.  
  
Miroku, however, had other plans as he marched over to Inuyasha, grabbed his shoulder firmly and knocked him to the ground, his eyes ablaze.  
  
"What the fuck?" Inuyasha yelled at the cook who was pinning him to the ground.  
  
"Inuyasha, I'd like to tell you something I saw today," Miroku said coolly, him giving him a look that said _'don't you dare interrupt'._  
  
Inuyasha glared as Miroku allowed him to sit up, "What do you want?"  
  
"Well, Lady Sango told me to water the roses today, since the red ones had seemed a little down lately, and I was walking along the path when I saw you."  
  
Inuyasha looked mildly surprised.  
  
"Yes, it was you, and you started talking to yourself, it seemed, and then suddenly this weird monkey thing fell from the sky and you started screaming at it. And then the most remarkable thing happened...Kikyo appeared out of thin air, isn't that odd?"  
  
Inuyasha growled.  
  
"You started to walk away and the girl proclaimed her love to you, Inuyasha, I believe, but you didn't listen, instead you left that girl to baboon boy, poor thing too," Inuyasha looked up and met Miroku's deep purple eyes.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, baboon boy started beating up Miss Kikyo, and he dragged her into the forest, the poor girl was basically beaten to a bloody pulp..."  
  
"Kagome..."  
  
"Err...no it was Kikyo, Inuyasha," Miroku said, a little confused and wondered if Inuyasha was even listening.  
  
"Kagome is Kikyo...she tricked me..." Inuyasha stood up suddenly and morphed into his hanyou form.  
  
Miroku's eyes bugged out of their sockets, "_What the hell_?"  
  
Inuyasha didn't pay him any mind, "She tricked me...but I was a fool to not believe her when she said she was sorry, now she's gone." He blabbed on to himself as he clenched a fist, drawing blood, he looked up at the curtained windows, his eyes reflected an inner fire, "I can't stay mad at her when she's in danger..." he looked down at his clawed hands, smiling sadly, "You can't stay mad at someone you love."  
  
Miroku raised an eyebrow and watched as Inuyasha flung the window open and hoped out towards the forest, "I think he was talking more to himself than us, Sango, dear."  
  
Sango walked from the shadows and looked at the open window, "We better follow him, he might need some help...besides I want to touch those ears! "  
  
"Would you want to touch my ears if they were doggy like?" Miroku asked innocently.  
  
"Of course, now come on!" Sango grabbed Miroku's hand and whipped out of the house.  
  
Kagome felt her head go numb as Naraku dragged her across the field. The field. The field that she'd seen Inuyasha turn hanyou for the first time, the place brought back a warm memory, before the pit of her stomach started to toss and turn painfully as she remembered the look that Inuyasha had given her.  
  
She clutched her eyes shut trying to get rid of the image of Inuyasha's cold amethyst eyes, she sniffed from the emotional and physical pain that Naraku had inflicted on her.  
  
"Do not worry, Kagome-Chan, we'll be there soon," Naraku said to her as he turned a corner in a long row of trees and a multicolored barrier advanced on them, Kagome's eyes widened and Naraku chuckled, "welcome to my domain, Koishii."  
  
"Don't call me that," Kagome bit out angrily as she regained her composer, she jerked her head to the side in hopes of loosening his grip on her hair, but only resulted in making it throb painfully.  
  
"I don't know why you bother, Koishii, it's not like any one will miss you," Naraku smirked at Kagome's pained expression, "The only person who knew you was Inuyasha, and he hates you now, how can you love a man who trusts his parent's killer before the woman he loves?"  
  
"He doesn't love me," Kagome said softly, though, she couldn't help think that Naraku was right...how could Inuyasha not believe her?"  
  
"_How could I have not believed Kagome_?" Inuyasha yelled to himself as he paused in a field to sniff out the smell of Kagome, the smell of roses drifted through the air and it was mixed with a salty liquid...and her blood. Inuyasha growled and continued searching for the direction Naraku had taken Kagome.  
  
He felt tears prickling his eyes as he thought of what he had said to Kagome, "I'm such a cold hearted bastard."  
  
"Nah, you just always forget when it's the wrong time to say something," a voice said behind him, he whirled around to see Sango and Miroku standing and smiling slightly.  
  
"What are you two doing here?" Inuyasha asked, slightly annoyed that he hadn't smelled them coming.  
  
"We're here to help..." Sango said softly, still smiling at her cousin, "I feel like you've been so distant lately Inuyasha, all I want is for you to be happy."  
  
"Yeah, and we want to know when you got white hair," Miroku put his two cents in, earning two glares.  
  
"It's silver." Inuyasha said flatly as he collapsed to the ground, smelling the ground so as to get a better whiff of Kagome.  
  
Sango and Miroku watched in amusement as the hanyou crawled around like a dog, his nose implanted to the ground, he crawled around, resembling a crab until he ran smack dab into a tree, grumbling his curses he stood up, "I know where she is."  
  
Naraku had dragged Kagome through a barrier and was now standing in the courtyard of the castle that belonged to Naraku.  
  
"Now Koishii...I believe you have something I want," Naraku said sinisterly as he slinked his way over to her like a snake.  
  
Kagome glared, "I will not sleep with you."  
  
Naraku chuckled, "That's not what I meant, Koibito, I know you are a miko." Kagome's eyes widened, "Yes, it's true you are a miko, and I could really use those powers of you, in fact, you could make me even more powerful."  
  
Kagome glared, "No."  
  
"Now, now, let's not be coldhearted towards each other, Kagome-Chan," Naraku gripped her chin painfully, "you _will_ give me the power I need!"  
  
"No."  
  
Naraku smacked her in the head, adding another bruise to her battered face, she cringed and closed her eyes in pain, "I won't."  
  
Naraku snarled, "You're willing to let me kill you?"  
  
Kagome shook her head, "I'll be saved."  
  
"You sound very confident, after all Inuyasha hates you now."  
  
"No thanks to you."  
  
"Yes that's true isn't it Koishii, though I may be strong, my mind control will wear off soon, making Inuyasha realize what he said...but by then it will be too late."  
  
Kagome's eyes narrowed into slits. "You bastard," she hissed as she punched the unsuspecting Naraku in the nose, causing it to break.  
  
Naraku grasped his nose, releasing Kagome to clutch the bloody appendage. He narrowed his eyes dangerously as Kagome whipped down the staircase leading up from the ground to the courtyard, jumping two steps at a time.  
  
He laughed bitterly, "Fine, try and run away, sweetie, you'll be back."  
  
Kagome ran towards the multicolored barrier and was immediately thrown back from the translucent wall, she gasped in pain as she clutched her burnt shoulder.  
  
She ran towards it again, only to be thrown back against a wall and knocked unconscious.


	15. Heart's silent pleas

**Under the Pale Autumn Moon  
  
---**  
  
Naraku smirked as he watched Kagome crash herself into the barrier, "I hope she doesn't kill herself."  
  
Kagome was finally slammed into a wall and knocked unconscious, Naraku cackled evilly as he hopped down the steps and walked towards Kagome, picking her up by her hair, "Hard to believe she's the Miko who was cursed. She's barely worth my time, no real Miko powers."  
  
He muttered to himself as he tossed Kagome onto a patch of dead tree leaves, shaped like a makeshift bed.  
  
Sighing he sat on the wall she'd crashed into and gazed up at his castle, "One day I will be able to enter it, and it will all be thanks to you, Koibito," he spoke to the oblivious girl who was breathing softly, her hair fanned out behind her and her bruised and battered body looking rather paled, "If you die, I'll be very angry, Koishii, so don't even think of dying."  
  
All he received in return for his exclamation was shallow breathing.  
  
Inuyasha crawled on the ground, his legs scurrying out behind him as he dodged trees and other things that might offend his nose, trying to track down Kagome's scent, but sadly the many cedars that surrounded the area drowned the smell of roses out.  
  
Miroku and Sango followed behind him in mild interest, only tagging along to make sure that Inuyasha didn't do anything stupid.  
  
"Anything yet, Inuyasha?" Sango asked as Inuyasha ran into a tree, making birds scatter in all directions.  
  
"Its weird, her smell is strong, but then it suddenly disappears," Inu- yasha grunted while rubbing his nose, staring at the tree as if it were the thing keeping him from Kagome.  
  
Sango and Miroku exchanged glances, "Maybe that baboon guy did something to throw you off?"  
  
"That bastard, Naraku, he'll have to pay, its one thing to turn me into this," he motioned to his ears, but appeared to be talking to the himself more than the two humans, "but how dare he take Kagome away from me!"  
  
"I hate to point this out, Inuyasha, but you did walk away from her, allowing this Naraku guy to take her away," Miroku said, earning a punch in the stomach by Inuyasha.  
  
"Shut up, you know nothing, you've always had Sango, you've always been one species in your lifetime, you have no idea what this feels like," Inuyasha growled as he returned to sniffing the ground, searching for Kagome.  
  
Miroku sighed, knowing that what Inuyasha said was true, but not wanting to admit it, he slipped his hand into Sango's as they followed after the dog hanyou.  
  
Naraku walked briskly with Kagome dragging behind him, her soft figure cut and bruised from Naraku's assaults and from being hauled like a little doll. Naraku's footsteps resounded along the deserted castle, though it could barely be called that, it was more like a large house.  
  
Naraku came to a small shack on the outskirts of the "castle" and threw the door open. Rats and birds all hid when the sunshine hit their nests and dwellings. Naraku smirked, hopefully Kagome hated rodents. Throwing the girl inside the shack and locked the door, it would take awhile for Kagome to find the strength to open the door.  
  
Before leaving he leaned over and pricked Kagome's neck with a claw, smirking again he placed something behind Kagome's ear and walked out.  
  
He heard footsteps off in the distance, behind the barrier and smirked, "So, the little hanyou has finally found me?"  
  
Inuyasha pounded through the forest, his nose finally attaching to Naraku's scent, Kagome's being too weak, his heart pounded. He panted softly when he found a gap in the trees.  
  
Miroku and Sango were close behind, watching the hanyou run faster than anything they'd ever seen before.  
  
Inuyasha didn't give them a second glance as he started to run again towards the gap in the trees: that was where Naraku's scent was reeking.  
  
Something caught Miroku's eye, "Inuyasha wait..."  
  
But he never got to finish because at that moment, Inuyasha ran through something translucent, a bluish wall. Miroku blinked, "He can go through barriers?"  
  
Sango shrugged and ran forward, but was hurled back, "Damn, that hurt."  
  
Miroku grabbed her and helped support her, "What does this mean Sango?"  
  
"We're trapped outside, duh," Sango said dryly.  
  
Miroku bent down on his knees and raised his hand in a one-handed prayer, "I shall try and break the barrier."  
  
Sango nodded and looked past the barrier, where Inuyasha's figure was slowly retreating, "Take care of him, Inuyasha."  
  
Inuyasha smelt his friend's scent growing weaker and weaker but he couldn't wait for them, he has to save Kagome, racing as fast as he could, he came upon some steps to a large house like thing. He stared blankly at it and then something caught his eye.  
  
"Kagome!" Inuyasha cheered happily as he ran to the girl. She stood softly off to the side, in shadows, her arms crossed over her chest as she stood in an annoyed position, "Kagome, I'm so glad you're alright!"  
  
Kagome smiled, "I am too."  
  
Inuyasha grasped Kagome and hugged her tightly, as if she'd disappear if he let go. Inuyasha, however, didn't notice when Kagome smirked evilly, her eyes glinting with evil intentions.


	16. Crimson eyes and forgotten dreams

**Under the Pale Autumn Moon  
  
---**  
  
Inuyasha clutched Kagome tightly, her small frame pressed against his, "Kagome..."  
  
Kagome patted Inuyasha's back, "I'm here."  
  
"Kagome I'm so sorry for not believing you, can you ever forgive me?" Inuyasha whispered, he hated being wrong, but he only wanted Kagome to know that he cared, that he loved her.  
  
To Inuyasha's dismay, Kagome pulled away with a smirk on her face, her eyes dark and stormy, not their usual cheerful blue self. She began to snicker evilly and she turned away from him, so that her back was to him.  
  
"I don't know what you're doing here Inuyasha, but if it were to ask for forgiveness, then you should turn right back around," she snickered, her voice stone cold.  
  
"What?" Inuyasha asked shocked as he stared at the girl before him.  
  
Kagome turned back to him, blue eyes meeting his golden ones, moist with emotions. "Inuyasha, did you really believe that I cared for you?"  
  
Inuyasha paled and something danced along his insides, "Of course."  
  
Kagome laughed again, "Then you are as ignorant as I believed."  
  
Inuyasha's eyes widened and he backed up a step, Kagome shook a finger at him, "Oh no, I'm not letting you leave now, Inu-Chan."  
  
Inuyasha stared in shock as the girl before him began to glow, a dark flame-like aura surrounded her as she walked towards him, her shoes echoing along the silent courtyard, "I'm sorry to say, Inu, but my heart belongs to Naraku, always has always will, you were a nice break for me to gain your trust, but now, it's time to say goodbye."  
  
Inuyasha gulped as he grew into a defensive position, "Oh, are you going to fight me, Inuyasha, the woman you love?" Kagome laughed and shook her head.  
  
Inuyasha's eyes widened with realization, he couldn't hurt her, not Kagome.  
  
Meanwhile, in the shack, a figure twitched from her position as she sat up, rubbing her neck absently she peered around the hut, her black hair cascading down her back, "Where'd Naraku go?"  
  
Yawning she got up and went to the wall, where a crude window was established, peering out she glanced at some movement about one hundred yards away. Her eyes widened, "Inuyasha," she whispered.  
  
And sure enough, Inuyasha was hugging someone. Hugging them close, her heart splashed down into her stomach as she felt a wrenching feeling deep within her as tears came to her eyes, she reached for the door handle, but was pushed back by a coursing pan shooting from her finger tips to the rest of her body: a seal.  
  
She grasped her hand in pain and let out a whimper at the tenderness of the skin, red from the burn the seal had given her. She blew on the hand softly, the calm air relaxing the skin some-what, it would have been better if there was some cold water to cool the burn down. She glanced back at the door, it was rare to find a seal that could hold in a Miko, usually they were used to hold in youkai or anything without a pure heart, and Kagome was pretty sure she had a semi-pure heart.  
  
She glanced back out the window and watched Inuyasha talk to the figure...her eyes widened, "M-me?"  
  
Sure enough, Inuyasha had been hugging a Kagome-look-alike, but she was certain that she was the real Kagome, but who could that be?  
  
Kikyo?  
  
No, she could tell by the hair and the body shape-it wasn't Kikyo; it was her, or at least someone who was damn good at looking like someone else.  
  
She paused-she didn't know any shape shifters, they were as rare as the Miko seals. But the way the figure looked exactly like her, it had to be a shape shifter, but who? Who could be a shape shifter?  
  
She watched as the Kagome turned towards her, grinning widely, looking straight at her. Kagome gulped, she knew that smile. It was Naraku.  
  
Naraku was a shape shifter. She clutched her eyes shut and felt her anger boil over.  
  
"That bastard," she rasped out, her voice hoarse and dry.  
  
"Yes he really can be can't he?" Kagome whirled around to discover that she wasn't alone in the shack, and her eyes widened when she saw who it was.  
  
"What now, hanyou?" Kagome spit out in disgust as she clenched her fists, causing the dark aura to rise around her. Inuyasha stood up straight, his hands at his sides and his head bowed, "Oh, can't come to fight with me, eh? That just shows how weak you really are."  
  
"Kagome." Kagome paused in her footing. Inuyasha looked up, pain and sorrow dancing across his golden orbs, "I don't know what I did to drive you to do such a thing, but I love you! Why can't you forgive me?"  
  
Kagome stood shocked as Inuyasha dove forwards and hugged her furiously, "Let me go, Inuyasha, let me go!"  
  
Inuyasha didn't let go and didn't notice when Kagome pulled out a knife from her sleeve, "Let go of me, hanyou."  
  
Inuyasha felt a shock of pain run through him as a blade protruded out of his chest, gasping as his blood rushed down his stomach he looked up at Kagome one last time, "Kagome...why?"  
  
"What...what?" Kagome stood shocked, "How can you still be alive?"  
  
The figure smirked, "Little Kagome, you still underestimate me?"  
  
Kagome paled, "How? I saw you die! _How can you still be alive_? Kikyo stabbed you!"  
  
Kouga smirked from his sitting position, "Always underestimating, my love."  
  
Kagome glared, "I don't love you anymore, you betrayed me! You kissed my best friend!"  
  
Kouga shrugged, "It was so long ago, can't we just forgive and forget?"  
  
"No, Kouga," Kagome said flatly, no longer adding the _-Kun_, "It's too late for that now, you betrayed me, my best friend betrayed me, and so I have no reason to love you, I can't love you."  
  
Kouga laughed, "You're an odd one, baby."  
  
"You can't be alive," Kagome said flatly, "I don't want to love a corpse."  
  
Kouga shook his head, "You forget that us wolf demons are immortal."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Baby, that simple little stab in the back isn't going to kill me, you, a highly defined Miko should know that, especially when a youkai was your lover."  
  
Kagome huffed, "I hate you."  
  
"Nah, you really love me, don't you?"  
  
"_I hate you_!" Kagome reached for the door handle and it shocked her again with a jolt of electricity, "Open this god damn door Kouga."  
  
"Nah, I like being alone with you, in a shack, away from screaming distance."  
  
Kagome glared, "I can kill you with one jolt, bastard."  
  
"Tsk, Tsk, my love, you shouldn't treat me as such, wouldn't want to know how you treat an enemy," Kouga jumped off his perch and leaned over, kissing her deeply on the lips, "Oh how I've missed this."  
  
Kagome's anger boiled over and in an instant of white light, Kouga was on the other side of the shack, having blown the wall out with his body. Kagome blinked in surprise, "Wow, I'm stronger than I thought!"  
  
She ran out towards her love and the man who was seriously pissing him off.  
  
Naraku turned softly to watch the real Kagome running towards him, he smirked in his Kagome form. Yes, betrayal was his favorite thing to do, especially to a girl like Kagome, whose loved one's were so easy to manipulate.  
  
"Kagome what a pleasant surprise, I see you got out of my Miko blockade and Kouga."  
  
Kagome glared at Naraku and but her hands on her hips, "Naraku, you never told me you were a shape shifter."  
  
"Was there a reason?" Naraku smirked and morphed slowly into the figure of the little boy who worked at the manor, Shippou it was, he looked up at Kagome with cold dead eyes, "I can morph into anyone I see fit," he said in Shippou's cute little voice.  
  
Morphing again he turned into Sango, "Anyone I please."  
  
He then turned into Miroku, "I only have to say the name in my head and I will change into that person." Then he turned into some of the maids in the manor.  
  
Kagome glared, "You tricked me."  
  
"Really, you are a genius sometimes, Kagome dear." Naraku said sarcastically as he smirked dangerously at her, "Now my dear, I think you should stop worrying about me, and start worrying about yourself."  
  
"I have to save Inuyasha!"  
  
"Oh?" Naraku chuckled and Kagome suddenly became uneasy, "Do you think he'll accept it? After all, it was you who stabbed him in the back."  
  
Kagome's eyes widened as she looked around Naraku for the first time to see Inuyasha soaking in his own pool of blood, his eyes blank and unblinking. Kagome gasped loudly as she ran over to him, tears running down her cheeks.  
  
Naraku smirked, "I said worry about yourself." He lifted his clawed fingers and snapped loudly. Kagome stopped in her tracks.  
  
Naraku smirked, "Good it's working."  
  
Kagome stood, her eyes dark and blank, like Inuyasha's. Sweat rolled down her face as her neck started to throb painfully. Her hands clenched and unclenched as her breathing became labored.  
  
Naraku raised an eyebrow, "Kouga."  
  
Kouga stepped forward, his eyes much like Kagome's, their blue depths glazed over and unblinking, "Yes my lord?"  
  
Naraku smirked, "Bring my Kagome here to the castle gates, it is time to open it to receive the Shikon no tama."  
  
Kouga nodded emotionlessly as he walked briskly over to Kagome, who in turn held her hand out to him, sweat rolled down her back and her eyes glazed over.  
  
The two started to walk away towards the gates, "Soon the Shikon will be mine," Naraku smirked to himself.  
  
He was about to follow his two minions under his control when Inuyasha pulsed. Naraku paused and looked at him, "What the fuck?"  
  
Inuyasha pulsed again, and again, and again. Naraku backed away a step as he felt a sudden surge run through him, "How can he still be alive?" he rasped out, "He should be dead! I stabbed him in the heart! His power...it's raising, fuck..."  
  
Naraku backed up against a wall and he started to sweat dramatically, "He can't be...changing?"  
  
Inuyasha pulsed again and he sat up, his head bowed and his claws digging into the stone, causing the cobblestone pathway to crack and split apart as if it were clay. Naraku cringed as he heard a snarl come from the hanyou.  
  
Razor sharp claws rose up and touched the wound to his heart gingerly; blood hurled itself onto his hand. Inuyasha smirked and licked his hand clean of the blood. Naraku stared in disgust.  
  
The hanyou smirked again at his now clean hand. He stood up completely and stared shamelessly at Naraku, his hideous smirk able to outwit Naraku's any day. A purple stripe ran up both his cheeks and his eyes were a blood red.  
  
The blood red eyes narrowed with glee as he stared directly at Naraku, smelling the youkai blood surging through his blood, though Naraku was known for mind control, he wasn't the strongest person in the world, he gulped as Inuyasha started to walk towards him, no mercy shinning through his face.  
  
Inuyasha raised a razor claw and smirked again, "This ought to be fun, promise that you won't disappoint me?" he whispered, his voice dripping in venom and dangerously calm.  
  
Inuyasha raised a claw and suddenly lunged forward in the blink of an eye, his claw out stretched towards Naraku's stupid little head, unfortunately for Inuyasha, he missed and proceeded to collapse the wall into little fragments of pebbles.  
  
Naraku paled as he dodged the attack and rolled over to the side of Inuyasha, catching his breath and trying to calm his pounding heart, "How did you become a full demon?"  
  
Inuyasha snickered, "Does it matter, bastard, I am what I am and that's all that I am? Enough talk, time to die."  
  
Naraku dodged another attack and fluently lifted his foot to kick the hanyou in the face, but Inuyasha was ready and dodged it easily, but not missing his chance to nearly cut the leg off with his bladed claws.  
  
Naraku hated to admit it, but he needed some serious help, snapping his fingers, three figures suddenly appeared. One was a small child looking person, who was completely white except for her dark eyes, another wore feathers in her hair and held a fan, and the other was Kouga.  
  
Naraku smirked, "Hanyou, prepare to die, Kagura, use your wind powers to kill this poor excuse for a youkai."  
  
The woman with the fan, Kagura, nodded slowly as she raised her fan, moving it in a circular motion, preparing for an attack, but, she didn't notice when Inuyasha launched forward with incredible speed and punched the poor woman in the face, and another in her stomach, causing her to spit up blood as she was hurled back into the remains of the wall.  
  
Kanna raised her mirror and stared at the hanyou, waiting for him to use some attack on her so her mirror could launch it back at him. Inuyasha ran forward and kicked the tiny albino child in the ribs, causing her to fly into her anesthetized sister.  
  
Naraku cringed as he watched his detachments both defeated in less then five minutes, usually they put up a better fight, he noted to himself to remember that he should feed the detachments more, give them some calcium. He nodded to Kouga who stepped forward, his hands lifted and in a defensive position.  
  
Inuyasha let out a loud scream as he launched himself onto the wolf youkai, the two began to punch the other as they fought it out, Naraku smirked, there was no way that the hanyou could beat a full-blooded wolf youkai.  
  
Naraku turned just in time to see an arrow come flying by his face. He turned sharply to see that Kagome, released from her hypnotic spell was staring back at him, bow raised, Naraku cursed himself for not locking his weapon holder near the gates of the castle, he wondered vaguely why he even put the weapon holder there.  
  
"_Ah_, Kagome dear, what on Earth are you doing?" Naraku tried to sound like he had every thing under control, when in reality he felt like he should go and punch the remains of the wall the hanyou had screwed up, that stupid hanyou was ruining his plans.  
  
Kagome looked past Naraku and stared at the fighting Inuyasha and Kouga, she returned her stone hard gaze to Naraku, "What did you do to him?"  
  
Naraku raised an eyebrow, "Kouga is only under a mind control, like you," Naraku snapped his fingers, but nothing happened. Kagome kept her gaze narrowed at Naraku and her bow steady, "What the hell?"  
  
Kagome narrowed her eyes until they were slits, "I don't mean Kouga, I meant Inuyasha!"  
  
Naraku chuckled and shrugged, "Sorry baby, but I don't know what happened to your precious hanyou-" he was cut off when another arrow came whizzing by him.  
  
"Wrong answer," Naraku tried to snap again but Kagome placed another arrow on the bow string and pulled it back until the string became taut, her eyes focused only on Naraku, though she would glance at Inuyasha now and then, "Prepare to die, scum bag."  
  
Naraku smirked, "I wouldn't do that."  
  
Kagome lowered her bow slightly, "Why?"  
  
Naraku's mind raced, he had to find a good reason why he can't be killed, he smirked as an idea came to mind, "Kill me and Inuyasha's killed too."  
  
Kagome's mouth flopped open, "You're lying."  
  
"Am I?" Naraku relaxed considerably since he wasn't standing next to the mindless drone and the mindless killing machine.  
  
Kagome gulped loudly as she tried to decide if she should take the chance of killing her beloved.  
  
Naraku saw her discomfort, "Dear Kagome, drop your weapons now."  
  
Kagome lowered her head shamefully as she dropped the bow and it clattered to the ground. Inuyasha paused at the sound as he looked up at Kagome, who paled at the blood lustful look in his eyes.  
  
Inuyasha smirked and took a step towards Kagome. "Mate," he whispered.  
  
Kouga took this chance with Inuyasha off guard and dug his claws into his already bleeding wound, blood poured every where and Inuyasha collapsed, he rasped out for breath and tried to scream, but only a soft cough escaped his bloodied lips.  
  
"_Inuyasha_!" Kagome screamed as her hanyou lover fell to his knees and closed his eyes slowly with one longing glance at Kagome before he fell into darkness.  
  
Kagome screamed out his name again and ran towards him, but Naraku blocked her way, "Now, now Kagome dearest, it is time."  
  
"_Leave me alone_!" Kagome screamed and punched Naraku in his already broken nose, causing him to keel over in pain, Kagome made a run for Inuyasha, but Naraku's icy cold hair gripped her ankle, causing her to lose her balance, "Inuyasha..."  
  
"Fool, Inuyasha is dead," Naraku laughed at Kagome's misfortune and his good luck, "Now it's time to get the Shikon no tama."  
  
Kagome's half-lidded eyes floated to Inuyasha, his lifeless body lying in even more of his blood, he was either dead or dying, and she could do nothing to save him, nothing to save the one she loved.  
  
Naraku chuckled again, "Now you have nothing left to live for, Kouga is mine, and Inuyasha is dead, so why not work for me, it's the least you can do, since I had to go to all the trouble of finding Kikyo so many years ago."  
  
Kagome's eyes widened, "_What_?"  
  
Naraku didn't answer her and continued walking leaving Kagome to wonder why or what he was talking about. _'What is he talking about?'_  
  
Kagome closed her eyes miserably as she was dragged for the second time that day towards the castle, which now had a strange aura, no doubt the Shikon no Tama.


	17. Secrets revealed

**Under the Pale Autumn Moon  
  
---**  
  
"Fool, Inuyasha is dead," Naraku laughed at Kagome's misfortune and his good luck, "Now it's time to get the Shikon no Tama."  
  
Kagome's half-lidded eyes floated to Inuyasha, his lifeless body lying in even more of his blood, he was either dead or dying, and she could do nothing to save him, nothing to save the one she loved.  
  
Naraku chuckled again, "Now you have nothing left to live for, Kouga is mine, and Inuyasha is dead, so why not work for me, it's the least you can do, since I had to go to all the trouble of finding Kikyo so many years ago."  
  
Kagome's eyes widened, "_What_?"  
  
Naraku didn't answer her and continued walking leaving Kagome to wonder why or what he was talking about. _'What is he talking about?'_  
  
Kagome closed her eyes miserably as she was dragged for the second time that day towards the castle, which now had a strange aura, no doubt the Shikon no Tama.  
  
It almost seemed like time stood still at that time, the time when she watched Kouga fall and "die." It was then she had promised herself never to love again, and now her whole being belonged to Inuyasha, and he was dead.  
  
_'Are all the people I love destined to die?'_ she thought bitterly as she recalled the times that Kouga, Kaede, her family and...Inuyasha had died. Were dead, except Kouga, but he belonged to Naraku, unaware of the mind control devise in his neck. In a way, he was dead, never able to run free until the mind control was gone...or Naraku died. Both unlikely, she wasn't about to release the wolf bastard. She'd been able to pull hers away from her neck before Naraku tried to control her again.  
  
A sharp slap on the cheek made her jump from her thoughts. Naraku stood over her, with a dangerously angry look on his face. "You will listen when I speak to you," he growled at the young woman.  
  
Kagome glared at him, "Why should I?"  
  
Naraku raised an eyebrow, "Because I own you."  
  
Kagome angrily at him and turned her back on him, looking in the direction she'd left Inuyasha. She felt tears running down her face, "...You've killed the only person I hold dear."  
  
Naraku grinned, proud of himself.  
  
Kagome sniffed, "I've always lost the one's I love: Kouga... Inuyasha."  
  
To Kagome's horror, Naraku laughed, not his usual cackle or a chuckle, but a full-blown crack up on-the-floor-laughing kind of laugh that hurt your sides and made you cry.  
  
Naraku's grin never faltered as he stood and looked at Kagome, his eyes twinkling with amusement, sinister amusement. "Poor little Kagome still doesn't understand."  
  
Kagome's look only caused him to continue, "Poor little Kagome doesn't understand does she, such a shame, such a shame."  
  
Kagome glared, "What are you talking about?"  
  
"How do you think I knew about your curse? How do you think I knew that Kikyo was the one who put the spell on you? _How_ did I know that it was Kouga who was killed? How, dearest Kagome, did I know where to find you?"  
  
Kagome's mind was going haywire with all the questions Naraku was stringing past her, and for the life of her she was drawing up a blank, completely.  
  
Naraku sighed and shook his head; "I suppose I should show you, then." Naraku raised his hand and snapped, immediately Kouga ran towards them and he stood motionless as he awaited some instructions. But, Naraku had a different idea; instead he raised his own clawed hands and stabbed it through Kouga's stomach. Kagome gasped as she watched Kouga turn into dust and ashes that collapsed into a heap. A strip of paper with Kouga's kanji name written on it landed softly on the pile of earth and cinders. Kagome blinked in fascination and looked up to where Naraku once stood, but instead was face to face with Kouga.  
  
"What?"  
  
Kouga shook his head impatiently and spook to her in Naraku's voice, "You really are as dense as you look."  
  
Kagome shot a glare towards him, "And what's the point of this? So what if you can morph into Kouga."  
  
Naraku once again shook his head, "There never was a Kouga."  
  
Kagome's eyes widened.  
  
"Ah, yes, now maybe your brain is understanding, Kouga was someone I created," he smirked and morphed into Kikyo, "Need I explain more?"  
  
"You...you were...Kikyo, too?" Kagome gawks.  
  
Naraku nodded proudly, "Yes, I was both of them, by creating detachments that looked like your "best friend" and "lover" was quite simple, so easy, almost too easy, you see."  
  
"What did you do to Kikyo and Kouga?" Kagome whispered.  
  
Naraku snorted, "there was never a Kikyo or Kouga-they were both me. ME. I knew of a Miko with extraordinary powers, and I needed those powers in order to get the Shikon no Tama from my castle. Years ago another powerful Miko sealed my castle from me. I hatched a plan to make it so you could get it open. It was supposed to happen earlier, back then, you see, but my little Kikyo detachment actually developed feelings for my Kouga detachment causing her to disobey me and curse you, causing me to lose track of you."  
  
Kagome glared at Naraku as tears streamed down her face, "You tricked me."  
  
"Yes...wait...actually, yes, yes I did."  
  
Kagome suddenly got a look of disgust, "What?" Naraku stared at her with an evil glare, wondering why she had such an ugly look on her face.  
  
She paled, "I...kissed you!"  
  
Naraku had to fight the urge to fall over and scream at her, all this time she was disgusted by the fact she'd kissed him while he was in Kouga's form...  
  
"And that means I was also kissing Kikyo's form indirectly," she looked genuinely disgusted.  
  
...Naraku made a mental note to seriously hurt Kagome in the near future.  
  
Suddenly, it sunk into Kagome...Naraku had tricked her, had USED HER to take a goddamn jewel. She growled dangerously at Naraku, who in turn, smirked.  
  
She felt tears brimming the sides of her eyes, "Too long."  
  
"What was that, dear?" Naraku smiled one of his cruel smiles that made you want to crawl under a rock and die.  
  
"For too long you've played with my heart-cursed me made me life a _living hell_! You killed Inuyasha...you destroyed my life. I. Will. Never. Forgive. YOU!" She screamed as her emotions took over and she raced forward and blasted Naraku with a blast of white light, scorching his shoulders and making him take a step back from the girl.  
  
He grasped his shoulder tenderly, not expecting the girl's attack so quickly and powerfully. He smirked as he removed his hand-no matter, he just wouldn't allow it to happen again. He would not lose to a little girl.  
  
She was braced for an attack and was also building up her Miko powers for another blast, probably just as effective as the last one. Naraku would not allow it.  
  
Just before Kagome was about to launch forward with the grace of a well defined Miko, Naraku shot around her in a whirlwind of black energy and she was whipped off the ground. He smiled to himself, and this was one of his weak attacks. Just as Kagome was going to be thrown from the whirlwind due to whiplash, he made his black whirlwind stop and Kagome came crashing to the ground. The satisfying crunch promised that she'd broken something she would need in the near future.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry did I hurt you?" he asked mockingly, enjoying every second of this. "What's that you say...you want to go again? Why sure!"  
  
Naraku whipped around and Kagome was yet again thrown into the whirlwind, her right arm was useless, flopping around in the wind, she cringed as she felt the whirlwind stop and she began to fall to the ground. Expecting to feel cold ground, Kagome closed her eyes, and awaited another broken arm or leg. But instead she felt herself caught of the ground by someone who could jump really high.  
  
Sango and Miroku ran back from the manor, having discovered there was a barrier, the two had run back in hopes of finding a spell book of some sort that could break it. It was a weak barrier, hardly took any energy to keep up.  
  
Miroku knelt down and began lighting incense and began a one-handed prayer. Sango watched the ground closely, concentrating all her energy on the barrier being gone.  
  
The barrier wavered slightly, it wouldn't be long now...  
  
Sango just hoped they weren't too late. She gripped the one thing she grabbed from her mantle, knowing perfectly well that Inuyasha would not only need it, he's the only one who could use it.  
  
Kagome felt comforted in the arms, that is until it hit the ground and went launching into the air, higher than the whirlwind had taken her. She gulped and dared to open her eyes. She instantly wished she hadn't.  
  
Naraku was holding her, with an evil grin. He cackled evilly and dropped Kagome from the climax of his jump, just before he began to descend.  
  
Kagome gasped and was already imagining the pain she would be going through. Naraku fell with her, but he seemed unworried. Lucky bastard.  
  
She closed her eyes tighter and starting praying. The one thing she hadn't done in hundreds of years_, 'Please, I don't want to die, I want to be with Inuyasha.'_ She then mentally slapped herself. Inuyasha was dead.  
  
She hated reality.  
  
Then she felt arms around her again. She sighed, did Naraku decide he wanted to go higher. Deciding she didn't want to find out, she punched her captor.  
  
"Fuck," the figure groaned, "That hurt Kagome."  
  
Kagome blinked her eyes open, the figure was blocked slightly by the setting sun, making it appear to be just a black shadow, but she knew who it was.  
  
"Inuyasha!" Inuyasha smiled and landed with perfect grace and ease on the ground setting Kagome down. The smile seemed forced, and he was still bleeding, his wound not completely healed.  
  
Naraku landed behind him, his eyes on the setting sun. He grinned, wouldn't be much longer now. He turned with much satisfaction towards the two who were still staring at one another.  
  
Kagome then turned to Naraku, her eyes radiating with a new fire, the fact that Inuyasha wasn't dead was unearthing some new hope for the cursed Miko.  
  
She braced her knees and bent over her hands, chanting softly as Inuyasha tensed up, ready to defend her if Naraku moved at all towards her crouched form.  
  
Suddenly Kagome let out a loud chant and a burst of pinkish white light slammed into Naraku, causing him to fly back into the castle walls, the light surrounded him and went past him, his body too small to have the whole thing hit him. He crashed into the wall of his castle and it cracked.  
  
The castle was opened.


	18. Night of endless nightmares

**Under the Pale Autumn Moon  
  
**She braced her knees and bent over her hands, chanting softly as Inu- yasha tensed up, ready to defend her if Naraku moved at all towards her crouched form.  
  
Suddenly Kagome let out a loud chant and a burst of pinkish white light slammed into Naraku, causing him to fly back into the castle walls, the light surrounded him and went past him, his body too small to have the whole thing hit him. He crashed into the wall of his castle and it cracked.  
  
The castle was opened.  
  
Naraku grinned as the smoke cleared and the door was clearly open, "Why thank you Kagome dearest!"  
  
He began walking slowly towards the door, keeping a close eye on the shocked Miko and the bleeding hanyou. He glanced towards the sun, not long now...  
  
Kagome stood in shock; her hands still out stretched towards the castle, little swirls of smoke from her blast escaping the warmth of her hands. She wasn't blinking or moving. She was just staring and she felt coldness rush over her as she fell to her knees.  
  
Finally she blinked. And she blinked again. She shook her head and closed her eyes and opened them to look at the crushed castle.  
  
She'd opened the castle.  
  
Naraku was halfway towards the castle.  
  
That wasn't supposed to happen.  
  
She looked at Inuyasha who was struggling with the pain from his wound. She wondered why he hadn't died of blood loss yet.  
  
Naraku's shadow danced across the debris. It was hard to see him in the fading sunlight, but she stood up and charged the bastard.  
  
"Don't go near that jewel, bastard!!"  
  
Naraku cringed when Kagome head-butted him from behind. Inuyasha had a look of approval as he tried, in vain, to help the Miko.  
  
And then the sun was gone. And there wasn't a moon...  
  
Miroku continued to pray as the barrier continued to flicker and slowly but surely disappear.  
  
"Hurry Miroku!"  
  
"I'm going as fast as I can, dearest Sango," Miroku said calmly in order to not break his concentration.  
  
The sun was setting in the background and their shadows grew longer as the barrier finally snapped and flickered, before the translucent blue barrier was gone and the instead of seeing trees behind the barrier, they saw a castle.  
  
Miroku blinked, "That explains a lot. It's an illusion barrier, no wonder it was hard to break."  
  
Sango nodded and clenched the object in her hands as she broke out into a run, Miroku following behind her.  
  
Inuyasha paled as he realized what day it was. And how much blood he'd lost. He gulped and leaned himself against a sapling that hadn't been crushed by falling debris. He chocked out inaudible words to Kagome, who didn't hear him, and clenched his chest.  
  
Then the world started to spin as he felt himself becoming weaker and weaker. His silver hair turning into a dark ebony color. Though he couldn't see it, he knew his eyes were turning the dark violet that Kagome loved so much. His dog-ears disappeared and his claws dulled. He was human.  
  
"Kagome!" he managed to gasp out before he lost feeling in his legs and buckled.  
  
Kagome whirled around and stared at the kneeling Inuyasha, she ran over to him without a second thought. "Inuyasha, what are you doing? Now is no time to be human!"  
  
Inuyasha shook his head and grabbed her shoulders, supporting himself as he stood on wobbly legs, "I have no choice. It's the new moon, Kagome."  
  
"New moon?"  
  
"I turn human, a true human, once a month. I'll turn back once the sun rises," Inuyasha stared at Naraku, speaking low enough so that Naraku hopefully wouldn't hear Inuyasha's explanation of why he was the weak human boy.  
  
Kagome stared blankly at him, "B-But!"  
  
"I'll be fine," Inuyasha whispered as he pushed her slightly forward, his hands lingering on the small of her back before he stared at Naraku, who was beginning to build up some weird whirlwind again.  
  
Inuyasha shoved Kagome aside and raced towards Naraku, aiming to punch him in the stomach. Naraku merely threw the human aside, and watched with liking as he crashed into the sapling he'd been leaning up against moments before.  
  
Inuyasha gasped out in pain and closed his eyes tightly. It was getting hard to move, lack of blood and just pure exhaustion were taking their toll on the former hanyou.  
  
But he couldn't give up; he had to protect Kagome. He tried to stand, but he felt nothing.  
  
That is until Naraku had Kagome by the neck.  
  
"Stupid little bitch, you are no use to me now," Naraku smirked and cast his eyes towards his castle, "you've gotten my castle unlocked for me." He then glanced at Inuyasha, "and you killed an annoyance."  
  
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed to little slits as Kagome gasped for air and clawed at Naraku's arms like a cat, though he didn't seem to notice.  
  
"Inu-Inuyasha!" she wheezed before Naraku tightened his grip around her petite neck. She cringed and fought for breath, but was obviously losing the battle.  
  
Inuyasha felt a whole new wave of emotion wash over him. Naraku was hurting Kagome, he would not allow that, ever.  
  
He stood with newfound strength that he needed to protect Kagome. His hands moved without his knowledge and before he knew it, he had Naraku on the ground and was punching the living shit out of him.  
  
But then the weak feeling in his legs came back and Naraku tossed him aside carelessly.  
  
"_Inuyasha..._!" through woozy and wobbly vision that fuzzed in and out of blackness, Inuyasha was able to make out two figures running towards him.  
  
"Sango...Miroku?" he asked stupidly, already knowing who it was.  
  
The two stopped in front of him, "Save Kagome." He looked at them pleadingly and then Sango placed something in his hands.  
  
"Inuyasha, we can't see Kagome," Sango said as she closed the space between the object and Inuyasha's hands, "But you can protect her with this!"  
  
Inuyasha's bleary vision focused on a sword, "What?"  
  
"Tessaiga." Miroku said matter-of-factly, "It's an ancient sword that only a youkai wanting to protect humans can use."  
  
Inuyasha stared at it dumbly, "It won't work."  
  
"Why not?" Sango never got an answer because she was knocked aside by Naraku, having recovered from Inuyasha's half-powerful punches.  
  
Miroku threw a punch at him but was thrown aside.  
  
Inuyasha stood and glared at Naraku, "Don't hurt them anymore, bastard!"  
  
He unsheathed the sword. And nothing happened.  
  
It was just a rusty piece of crap.  
  
Terrific.  
  
Naraku seemed to find it terrific as well because he chuckled softly, "This is your big weapon? A sword that couldn't cut paper?"  
  
Inuyasha shot him a glare and urged the sword silently to work. With that thought in mind he lunged at Naraku and dug the sword into his arm and ripping it off. That was the theory at least. Instead, it panged off his arm like a rubber ball does when you throw it at the ground.  
  
Naraku and Inuyasha both stared dumbly at the sword as it jangled and twanged in Inuyasha's hand. And then Naraku burst into laughter.  
  
"Sango," Inuyasha whispered angrily as his cousin and Miroku stood stupidly. Why weren't they helping him?  
  
Inuyasha's eyes widened, maybe they couldn't see Naraku?  
  
And where was Kagome?  
  
He had to protect her, he glared at the sword, "Why can't I protect her?" of course the sword didn't answer, "_Why won't you work you stupid piece of junk_?"  
  
The sword pulsed.  
  
Inuyasha stared as the sword continued to pulse in his hand, almost as if it had a heart embedded deep within its blade. Inuyasha thought the pulse was a very optimistic sign and without a second thought launched towards the chuckling Naraku.  
  
He sliced off his arm with ease.  
  
Unlike last time, the sound of flesh hitting metal was easy to hear and the scream of agony from Naraku was at large.  
  
Grinning with a new confidence, Inuyasha proceeded to cut the youkai in half...  
  
Naraku was dead. Inuyasha blinked and stared at where Naraku had fallen, that was...easy. He stared at his sword; it was now a large fang-looking blade that looked able to cut through solid rock.  
  
Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at his comrades, he grinned sheepishly at Kagome as he collapsed to the ground.  
  
Kagome instantly rushed forward and flung herself onto the human form of Inuyasha, he looked at her softly.  
  
Sango and Miroku were both staring at Kagome.  
  
Not Kikyo, Kagome.  
  
Sango examined the girl-she did look slightly like Kikyo, only warmer.  
  
Miroku silently agreed when Sango whispered this to him.  
  
Kagome smiled softly at Inuyasha, "We won, Inu."  
  
Inuyasha nodded slowly, it hurt to move and he felt his life slipping away for real this time. He was really going to die. Unless the sun rose soon.  
  
Kagome felt tears slipping down her cheeks, "I'm so sorry for all of this, Inuyasha, it's all my fault!"  
  
Inuyasha wiped the tears from her eyes, "How is it your fault, Kagome?"  
  
Kagome sniffled and looked away from his violet eyes, "If I'd never met Naraku..."  
  
"Fate is fate, Kagome, we can't deny that," Inuyasha said softly as he continued to wipe the waterfalls of tears from Kagome's cheeks, "don't cry."  
  
Kagome didn't meet his eyes.  
  
"I don't think it was fate that I met you though," Inuyasha spoke just above a whisper, he had no strength to speak louder, "and I'm not sorry I met you."  
  
Kagome looked at his eyes then, they were shinning softly, glazed over in pain and his eyes wouldn't focus on her, he whispered something else, but it was lost in the dying breeze.  
  
He reached up a hand and cupped her cheek, "Kindred spirits?" He asked softly.  
  
Kagome nodded, tears returning, "Yeah, Kindred spirits."  
  
Inuyasha smiled in relief, "Love...you." And the hand fell from her cheek and lay lifelessly on the cobblestone pathway.  
  
Kagome stared at his closed eyes for what seemed like hours...maybe it was, because at that moment, the sun rose.  
  
Sango placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder, "It's ok, Kagome." Though she knew it would never be ok for her.  
  
Kagome looked at her in confusion, "Ok? OK! How can it be ok, he's dead...and how can you see me?"  
  
Sango blinked, "We saw you, me and Miroku, right after Naraku died."  
  
Kagome nodded dumbly and laid her head on Inuyasha's shoulder, "Hear that Inuyasha? The curse is broken, you saved me." She fingered his black hair.  
  
Wait.  
  
Black hair? Didn't Inuyasha say that he would turn to a hanyou after the sun rose? She stared at the sun to make sure that the sun really was up. And it was, Kagome stared in confusion.  
  
Miroku and Sango stood helplessly, Miroku having previously returned from the castle, he held the Shikon no Tama in his hands, and looked at it stupidly as his friend died right before his eyes and a girl appeared right before his eyes.  
  
It had been an interesting night.  
  
Kagome rose silently off of Inuyasha and whispered something Sango and Miroku couldn't understand.  
  
She turned to them, her smoky blue-gray eyes moist with unshed tears, "Let's go dig a hole for the body then?"  
  
Sango looked sympathetic as she patted the girl's shoulder tenderly.  
  
"At least he died curse free," Kagome said. She'd decided the reason why he hadn't changed back into a hanyou was because Naraku was dead, and without the caster of the curses, they both broke.  
  
Too bad Inuyasha wasn't alive to celebrate.


	19. Under the pale autumn moon

**Under the Pale Autumn Moon  
  
**Miroku walked forward and placed the small jewel in Kagome's hands. He didn't say anything, being a person who's always had everything in his life; he didn't even know what to say.  
  
Kagome smiled weakly and held the jewel in her hand. The pain inside her heart was almost too much, it was unbearable. She just wanted the pain to stop.  
  
She leaned over Inuyasha and placed the Shikon in his battered hand, "There you go Inuyasha."  
  
Miroku and Sango helped hoist the bulky human and drag him away from the castle. Away from Naraku. Away from everything.  
  
Kagome felt tears prickling her eyes as she stared off into the distance at the rising sun, casting shadows across the courtyard. Her heart felt endlessly empty and she felt the wrenching feeling in her heart again. Why wouldn't the pain stop?  
  
The three walked in silence, only with occasional grunt of effort as one of them heaved Inuyasha over a fallen log or an especially bushy shrub.  
  
The silence weighed heavily in Kagome's heart as she leaned her love against a tree and starting digging a hole with Sango and Miroku. They'd picked the burial place in the field where Kagome had first discovered that Inuyasha was a hanyou. She remembered that day as clear as if it happened five minutes ago. The way his silver hair drifted in the wind, the way his golden eyes captured hers for eternity it seemed.  
  
And the way he purred.  
  
She remembered the vibration deep within his throat that came out thick and happily when Kagome had rubbed his ears. No more dog-ears to rub now, though. And no more Inuyasha to purr even if she could.  
  
"Kagome?" Kagome looked up and saw that Miroku and Sango had already placed a stick into a large mound, which was unmistakably Inuyasha. Sango smiled, thought it was forced, and placed a hand on her shoulder, "and are you ok?"  
  
Kagome cringed when her hand touched a particularly large bruise Naraku had inflicted on her, "yeah I'm fine, the bruises will heal soon."  
  
"No, I meant," she averted her eyes towards the mound of dirt and back at her, unable to finish.  
  
Kagome's mouth made a little 'o' in realization and she forced a nod and a smile, "I'm sure it was only a small crush, I'll get over it, promise."  
  
"Kagome, sometimes it's darkest just before dawn." Miroku said, adding his two cents in before falling silent.  
  
Kagome smiled, though it was forced.  
  
Sango sighed, obviously not believing a word Kagome said but nodded nonetheless and headed towards her house, hand and hand with Miroku.  
  
Kagome stayed back, sitting in front of the mound. She prayed silently to her lost beloved and finally let her tears run again. The sunlight reflected off them tenderly, shining silvery light on the mound before they crashed just as silently onto the dirt.  
  
"I love you Inuyasha," Kagome whispered, "if you can hear me, please, try and help me get over you."  
  
And she stood up silently and left.  
  
That had been two weeks and two days ago.  
  
Two weeks without walking into the room and making fun loving comments at each other. How she cherished those moments now that she didn't have them any more.  
  
Kagome sat on the windowsill, looking into the darkened sky. The pale autumn moon shown dully in the sky, and stars responded by twinkling noiselessly.  
  
She watched the shadows on the moon that reminded her so much of her own heart. Two weeks ago she'd been bawling her eyes out over Inuyasha, but now, now she had no more tears she could shed.  
  
Only remorse and sadness remained deep within her, and nothing she did would make the pain go away.  
  
She visited his grave daily, and every time she would say the same thing: "I love you, Inuyasha."  
  
And she did.  
  
She did with all her heart, it wasn't puppy love, it wasn't a crush, and it wasn't a summer fling.  
  
The door creped open and Kagome sighed. Probably Sango checking on her. After the Naraku fight, Sango had welcomed Kagome with open arms and they'd become fast friends. She sighed and looked down into the rose gardens, "Sango, leave me alone."  
  
No answer.  
  
Kagome sighed, why did she always have such stubborn friends?  
  
She waved a hand behind her shoulder, the hand slightly cupped, waiting for her friend to place a glass of water in her hand, just like every night.  
  
Instead, something round and smooth resided her hand. She paused and grasped the object timidly before staring at it in awe.  
  
The Shikon no tama.  
  
"Sango, why'd you give me this?" She asked softly, she'd given it to Inuyasha, it was not her place to dig it out, "now I have to go back to his grave and give it to him."  
  
She turned around and saw no one there.  
  
She was alone.  
  
Sango must have left.  
  
"God damn it Sango," Kagome muttered silently to herself as she treaded towards the door. Opening doors, which was something she had to get use too, no more floating, no more moving through walls.  
  
She missed that almost as much as Inuyasha. But she missed Inuyasha about a thousand times more.  
  
"Where are you going?" asked a voice behind her. Not Sango's, but strangely familiar. She tensed up, no way, it was impossible.  
  
"Who's there?" she asked and whirled around, she gasped and the Shikon no tama dropped from her hand.  
  
Inuyasha smiled softly at her.  
  
"No," she whispered, "I saw you die, you can't be alive, and this has to be a trick."  
  
Inuyasha leaned down and picked up the Shikon no tama from its position on the floor, "The funny thing about this jewel is that it will grant any wish you desire."  
  
He rolled the jewel in-between his fingers casually, "And it gets even stronger when two people want it."  
  
"How do I know you're the real Inuyasha?" Kagome asked suspiciously, it might be Naraku, maybe he wasn't dead at all, and maybe he was taking Inuyasha's form so that he could kill her in her sleep.  
  
Inuyasha looked puzzled for a second, "Who else would I be?"  
  
"Don't play innocent with me!" Kagome pointed a finger accusingly at him.  
  
Inuyasha smiled again, "Define innocence."  
  
Kagome felt tears run down her face, "That doesn't prove anything."  
  
Inuyasha shrugged softly, "Whenever something's wrong you avert your eyes and your always silent. When you're happy, you're bubbly and talkative, floating around all the time, though you can't really float now I suppose. Whenever your angry, you always take our your anger by ramming yourself through walls."  
  
"How do you know all of this? Are you a stalker?"  
  
"Nah, it's just my hobby to memorize whenever you're depressed, happy, excited and so on."  
  
Kagome's eyes widened.  
  
"Plus, kindred spirits always know what the other's thinking," Kagome had no more doubts in her mind; she flung herself forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Inuyasha. At least, that was the theory.  
  
Instead she went right through him.  
  
She blinked in surprise.  
  
Inuyasha smiled forlornly, "This isn't the real me, Kagome, I'm still buried in the field, take this." He placed the Shikon in her hand, "and go to my 'grave' and wish for me to come to life, before its too late. If you don't I'll..."  
  
And then he faded away.  
  
Kagome didn't need to be told twice, she ran out the door (after running into it, forgetting she couldn't go through it) and ran through the rose garden, the pastel autumn moon hung in the sky, casting a pathway of moonlight through the trees.  
  
Reaching the mound she flung herself near the mound and grasped the Shikon tightly, "I wish Inuyasha could be with me."  
  
The Shikon swoon a soft pink light as it surrounded her and Inuyasha's grave.  
  
She closed her eyes tightly, praying and wishing for all she was worth.  
  
A sudden warmth wrapped around her and she felt everything melt away from her. A burning sensation was beginning to take place inside her cupped hands, but she didn't dare let go, she didn't dare scurry her thoughts else wear.  
  
And then she was in a place that was pure white. Almost like she was nowhere. It wasn't a blindly light, nor was it a darkened room like thing. It was just white, white spreading on for miles and miles.  
  
She blinked open her eyes and looked around.  
  
She tried to stand, but there was no floor. The place was warm yet cold at the same time, like she was sitting by a fire while pleating snow hit her backside.  
  
She closed her eyes, "I wish Inuyasha could be with me." She repeated over and over again, clasping the Shikon in her hand, trying her hardest to ignore the smell of burning skin.  
  
And then the Shikon no tama disappeared from her hand, its only evidence of ever being there were two burn marks on each hand in the shape of circles.  
  
She looked at her hand puzzlingly as the whiteness melted away again and she was back in the field.  
  
She blinked and looked around.  
  
And then Inuyasha's mound shook. The corners of her lips upturned slightly in hope as she sat, waiting, waiting for it to be true, or for her to wake up from this dream.  
  
A hand escaped the mound and grasped around for something to hold on to. The hand found Kagome's. Kagome felt her heart swelling as the person beneath the dirt pushed himself out of the ground, and violet eyes met blue- gray ones.  
  
"Geez, I kick the bucket and the first thing you do is put me in a hole," Inuyasha smiled playfully as he pulled his trapped legs out of the dirt. Even if he was dead for two weeks, he still looked like he had been alive, and had only been sleeping for a few hours.  
  
Dirt was smeared all over his face, his hair, and his clothes, but neither seemed to mind.  
  
"Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered hopefully as she reached out her other hand, Inuyasha instantly grasped it and intertwined his fingers with hers.  
  
"Yeah, I'm here," he whispered into her ear, even though he had been dead, he still smelled like he always did, the distant smell of Inuyasha which she'd come to love.  
  
"Oh Inuyasha," she rasped out as tears of joy fell down her cheeks, "I was so sure you were dead!"  
  
Inuyasha smiled so softly it almost seemed like he wasn't smiling, his eyes held the caring look in his eyes that he reserved just for her, "Did you miss me?"  
  
"Damn you and your heroic instincts," Kagome smiled and pressed her chest against his, wrapping her arms around him. "If you ever do that again, I'll hate you forever."  
  
"No you won't," he said softly, and Kagome knew he was right, "but I promise I won't die again."  
  
Kagome let more tears fall as he pulled away from her; kissing her tears away he inhaled her scent. It no longer smelled like roses. He wondered briefly if roses really were her natural scent or was it because she hung around them so much? But her scent was different, she seemed more alive, and she smelled faintly of strawberries instead of roses.  
  
Not that he minded, she always smelled nice to him. Kagome blinked her eyes open after Inuyasha finished kissing her tears away, she smiled up at him, "Is this a dream?"  
  
"If it is, I never want to wake up," he whispered to her and leaned down to kiss her.  
  
As they both pulled away for breath, Kagome fiddled with some of his black hair that hung loosely around his face, framing his beautiful features, "I miss your ears."  
  
Inuyasha chuckled, "ah well, I guess you'll have to get over it, because this is all your getting."  
  
Kagome smiled and kissed him again, "I think I'll live."  
  
Inuyasha hugged her tightly, "I love you."  
  
Kagome smiled and sighed in pure bliss, "I love you too."  
  
"I know," he said plainly as he leaned down and passionately kissed her.  
  
They stayed out there for hours, neither wanting to leave.  
  
Two lovers under the pale autumn moon.


End file.
